Brucie Boy
by HaleyRiler
Summary: When the Penguin and Joker decide to "team up" to get out of Arkham and break into Wayne Manor the Joker begins to realize that there's something funny, not only about the billionare, but about his past as well. I don't own Batman or D.C. comics.
1. It all started with a smile

Brucie Boy part 1

Arkham Asylum seemed a rather desolate place now. The air around the asylum grounds seemed to hang there, the fall leaves that now sat decaying under the trees barely ruffled as the building itself seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation of the cold night to come. A thin coat of ice covered the windows of the common room, irritating some of the residents who normally gazed through them at the city beyond.  
One of the residents being the Joker. His normally pleasant demeanor had been replaced with dull irritation as he halfheartedly drew a smiling face on the cold window with his toes.  
Penguin seemed happy to see the ice and snow but then his look also turned sour as he remembered that he wasn't permitted outside to enjoy the frosty weather after his last escape attempt. He sighed, irritated as well.  
"So What's got you down Joker? You're usually bouncing off the walls by now." He thought about it, "literally."  
Joker gave him an irritated glare but answered none the less.  
"The ice is blocking my view. I hate the winter, so many ways to bring Gotham to its knees at Christmas time and I'm caged in here with these bird brains. Pardon the analogy bird brain."  
He smiled knowing that the analogy bothered Penguin more than he let on.  
Joker scratched his head with his foot as he was in his straight jacket for destroying all the supplies and chairs in the group therapy room, forcing the residents to postpone their session until the following week. He grinned as he remembered the mischief he had caused.  
Penguin grimaced as he realized Joker had lost interest in their conversation and was once again staring off into space.  
"So " Penguin began, his voice a hushed whisper, "have you thought of any ways to escape?"  
Joker grinned at this, his crooked yellowed smile reaching up farther than what would seem possible on a normal person but on him it sat quite comfortably.  
Penguin grinned as well for he knew that Joker always had an ace up his sleeve and it was only a matter of getting him to tell him about it.  
"Now why would I want to do that? I'd miss bingo night!" At this Joker's horrendous laughter filled the room, alerting the guards who warned him t be quiet. He merely glared at them dangerously and quieted down after a few minutes. The guards gave a satisfied smirk and turned back around.  
Joker muttered something under his breath.  
"I'll give them something to smile about "  
He then turned back to Penguin.  
"I may have Why? What's in it for me if I tell you?"  
Penguin pondered on this and then shrugged.  
"I'll find you a new hide out if you want."  
Joker turned away from Penguin as if offended by the offer.  
"I can find my own hide out thank you very much."  
Penguin seemed a little angry now but he cooled down and spoke again.  
"How about I split the profits with you when I rob Wayne manner?"  
Joker seemed interested now and smiled slightly and finally nodded and extended his foot in a rather odd gesture.  
"Deal."  
Penguin gave Joker a strange look but shook his foot.  
"Deal."  
Joker looked around a little to make sure no guards were around to hear his brilliant scheme.  
"Stand under your cell camera tonight and wait for me. When you see me smash your camera."  
"And how will you get out?"  
Joker smiled wide at his question.  
"A magician never reveals his tricks!"  
Joker laughed again and this time the guards had had enough and came to take him back to his cell. Joker continued to laugh and Penguin noticed something strange in his eyes as he looked at the guards and smiled once more at him.  
"See ya later Pengi!" He laughed.  
Penguin sighed and turned back to the window.  
"Sometimes that guy freaks even me out."  
Laughter echoed down the halls as Joker was drug back to his cell.  
"At least I'll be getting out of here soon."  
The small smiley face Joker had drawn earlier began to drip and wind its way down the window pane, causing the smile to look even larger as the laughter finally subsided as the men walked out of earshot.  
That night after dinner Penguin was lead back to his cell and he stood ready under the camera.  
Suddenly a guard walked by his cell and smiled at him. The guards NEVER smiled at him!  
He glanced back and saw a lock of green hair protruding from the man's hat. Working its way around an extremely pale face.  
Penguin smiled now and smashed the camera above him. Joker stepped into the light now and dangled a set of keys in front of Penguin as he leaned down and unlocked his cell.  
"So tell me Pengi. Why does the caged bird sing?" Joker laughed about this but managed to keep his giggles to a minimum volume for a change.  
"Now let's go pay ol' Brucie boy a visit." He smiled, showing his crooked yellow teeth.  
Penguin grinned now, his wickedly sharp teeth shining brightly as he looked into Joker's red eyes and Joker looked down at him.  
Joker suddenly turned and darted down an adjacent hallway. Penguin followed as fast as he could on his short legs. Finally Joker stopped at a doorway at the end of the hall and kicked it open.  
"Step lively Pengi." Penguin grumbled a little but followed Joker's lead into the small room as fast as his legs would carry him. Joker quickly snatched up his purple suit and searched the room for his other belongings as Penguin did the same.  
Once Penguin and Joker had settled into their clothing and collected all their things Joker continued to burst down the door the room across the hall and then motioned for Penguin to follow. Joker lifted the window from its resting place on the sill and stepped through the open window moving his feet in a pattern that seemed practiced. No doubt he had learned how to keep his footing better from the many times he had escaped the asylum.  
Penguin soon followed as sirens followed them out. The cool night air soon enveloped them in a chilly blanket as the two made their way towards the Joker's spare hideout near the docks.  
Red lights flashed and sirens sounded as the asylum went into lockdown. Guards rushed to the gate and nearby orderlies rushed, medication in hand, to find the missing patients. But it was too late. The two had already left the grounds and were now growing close to the docks in search of supplies for their heist to come.


	2. A break in at Wayne Manor

Brucie Boy  
Part Two  
Bruce lifted his head drowsily as a loud beeping issued from his nightstand. Slowly he sat up and reached for the device. The screen on the bat wave flashed a message. It was a police report.  
Arkham Asylum- Two patients escaped- Penguin and Joker on the loose- extremely dangerous- thought to be armed.  
He narrowed his eyes. The two most dangerous criminals in Gotham and Arkham let them escape… again…  
He sighed and rubbed his eyes as he walked downstairs towards the living room. Suddenly he heard hushed footsteps coming from the kitchen.  
He grabbed a bat and turned the corner into the small hallway separating the stairs from the kitchen. He flattened himself against the wall and eyed the figure standing near the sink as he slowly walked over and turned on the lights. The figures head bounced up in alarm as he took in the man standing before him.  
Alfred stood in front of the sink, a glass of water in his hand.  
Bruce gave a sigh of relief as he lowered the bat and crossed the room to confront Alfred.  
The man simply stood there with his back to Bruce. This puzzled him a bit.  
"Alfred?"  
Bruce laid a hand on the old man's shoulder. Alfred still made no move to turn around or even flinch under his touch.  
Bruce slowly spun Alfred around, afraid of what he might find.  
Alfred's face had been contorted into a large unmistakable grin. His skin now pallid, giving him a crazed look about him.  
Bruce backed up against the wall still staring at his now stiff and smiling friend.  
"He does look better with a smile on his face don't you think Brucie?" Joker laughed, hanging from the chandelier by his feet as he now faced Bruce, their faces merely inches apart from one other.  
Joker's red eyes gleamed with amusement as Bruce frowned at him.  
"Careful, you'll get wrinkles." Joker laughed again causing Bruce to give him an irritated grimace.  
Joker frowned at this and flipped back down to the floor to look at Bruce more clearly.  
"You know, you have just as much humor as batman. No wonder all your friends were so happy to see me. They got tired of looking at you!"  
At this Joker busted up laughing, sending echoes throughout the house.  
Joker frowned now, realizing Bruce still wasn't laughing.  
"Why are you here Joker?"  
Bruce asked matter-of-factly.  
This seemed to catch Joker's attention for a moment. He paused.  
"Say that again?"  
"Why are you here Joker?" Bruce said a little angrier.  
"Well I'm here to rob you but that's not the usual reaction I get from people. I only know one person who asks me things like that…"  
Joker eyed him carefully but shrugged and turned toward the dining room.  
"Hey, Pengi! Come over here a minute!"  
A moment later Penguin emerged with a sack filled with fine china and a painting of an eagle on a mountain face.  
"What? I'm busy looting the other room!"  
"Does Brucie boy remind you of anyone?"  
Bruce began to get a little nervous and attempted to lift the bat up slightly. This got him a glare from both Penguin and Joker who were both eyeing him now.  
"Yeah, he does kind of… a dead duck!"  
Joker and Penguin grinned now and Joker began to reach for the flower on his suit. Bruce ducked now and swung the bat at Joker's legs, earning him a surprised look from Joker and causing Penguin to extend the tip of his umbrella into a sharp sword tip which he happily shoved at him.  
Bruce ducked again and grabbed a hold of the portly man's umbrella, flipping him into the wall behind him.  
Joker got up now and glanced at Bruce again, a crooked yellow smile spreading across his face.  
"Hey Pengi, I think we picked the perfect house to break into tonight." He turned to Bruce.  
"Didn't we Brucie?" Bruce glared at this. He had a feeling he knew what Joker was thinking.  
He swung the bat at the harlequin once more. This time however Joker was too quick for the swing and jumped to the chandelier once more. Without looking at Penguin Joker spoke, keeping his gaze on Bruce as he smiled down at him.  
"Hey Pengi, why don't you go loot the rest of the house and give Brucie boy and I some privacy?"  
Penguin looked a little confused at this but when he received a sharp glare from Joker he did as he was told and returned to the dining room to finish his looting.  
Joker turned back to Bruce once he was sure Penguin was out of ear shot.  
"I thought I recognized you…" He eyed him a little with a smirk on his face. "Batsy."  
Bruce's eyes widened but then grew angry as he took another swing at the crazed clown.  
Joker merely shifted his position on the chandelier and pretended to look at his fingernails as if bored.  
Bruce then had an idea and looked toward the chain holding up the chandelier and quickly bashed it roughly with the bat until it came free.  
Joker's eyes got wide now as he fell to the floor and got back up only to meet the end of the bat once more.  
Joker's grin faded now as he wiped a little blood from the side of his mouth.  
"I've gotta say I'm a little disappointed Batsy."  
Bruce had an idea now.  
"The only batty person around here is you Joker."  
Joker's eyes seemed curious now.  
"Oh really? Then how'd you know about my flower then?"  
"I don't know what that stupid flower does but I'm guessing if YOU reached for it then it can't be good."  
"Touché…" Joker smiled, "Then where's Batsy? He's usually here by now?"  
"How should I know? I'm not his mother." Bruce said angrily.  
Joker seemed to take this as a challenge, his eyes gleaming in the dim light.  
Joker shifted his eyes down to his pockets for a moment, still eyeing Bruce suspiciously. He slowly retrieved a black object from his pockets and Bruce raised the bat, waiting for Joker to spring something on him at any moment. Slowly the tattered, crudely stitched cape and cowl of the laughing bat emerged and Bruce's eyes widened.  
"If you're not Batsy then you'll have no problem wearing this will you?" Joker laughed, eagerly awaiting Bruce's response.  
"Who knows what you've done to that ugly thing. I'm not putting that on!"  
Joker scowled now, something Bruce had never seen before. Clearly he had struck a nerve.  
"Now you listen here Brucie boy! I'm in charge here! We play by my rules so if you want to survive the night you best put this on!" Joker growled, all humor lost from his usually cheery tone.


	3. For Cape and Cowl

Brucie Boy  
Part 3  
Bruce couldn't believe it. Joker had backed him into a corner, both literally and figuratively. If he fought him he would no doubt figure out that he was batman and if he put on the cowl and cape Joker would recognize him immediately even in the crudely stitched fabric. Then he had an idea that was crazy even for Joker's standards but just might work if he knew Joker well enough.  
"So what if I am batman hmm? If I am then what are you going to do? Penguin is here to. Do you want him bothering us?"  
Joker eyed him carefully now and then glanced over his shoulder into the next room, seemingly contemplating what he had just said.  
His plan seemed to be working. He just had to hope that Joker would take the bait.  
"Good point Batsy. Wouldn't want old Pengi interrupting our fun now would we?" He laughed.  
"Hey Pengi!"  
"What?" Penguin said, poking his head into the doorway, a large bag filled with Bruce's things balanced on his back.  
"Catch!" Joker exclaimed laughing hysterically as he threw what looked like a small grenade with a smile painted on the side at Penguin's feet.  
Penguin's eyes widened and he tried to back away from it but gas soon erupted from the grenade, causing him to laugh hysterically before falling to the floor. His normally sour, greedy expression twisted into a painful smile.  
"Now where were we?" Joker turned back around towards Bruce, cape and cowl in hand.  
However Bruce was no longer there. He had rushed to the grandfather clock with Alfred slumped stiffly over his shoulder. He quickly unlocked the secret passage and took the elevator down to the batcave. The entrance shut quickly but not before Joker caught a glimpse of the motion.  
Things were getting more and more interesting by the moment! This was turning out to be a lot of fun!  
"Come out come out where ever you are…" Joker cried, laughing as he leapt over to the clock, pulling out books and attempting to tip the clock over.  
Joker looked at the hands on the clock, studying it in confusion. The clock was clearly broken. The time was off. The clock read 3:00. yet it was…  
Joker checked and imaginary watch and shrugged as he fiddled with the clock face, bursting up laughing as he guessed at the time. Suddenly he stopped as he heard a barely audible hiss as the clock slid aside to reveal the elevator. Joker looked at the time on the clock. 10:47 P.M. He shrugged and entered to elevator only to feel his stomach drop as the elevator shot down into the catacombs of the batcave.  
Bruce quickly hoisted Alfred off his shoulders and onto an operating table as he administered the antivenin for the Joker's gas.  
Alfred sighed as his features slowly relaxed. Bruce smiled in relief as he saw Alfred regain some color in his cheeks and close his eyes. He still remained unconscious however.  
Suddenly the doors to the elevator burst open, shocking Bruce as Joker staggered in, clearly shocked.  
Bruce saw Joker's smile widen and his heart dropped into his stomach.  
There was no denying it now. He knew…


	4. The Game

Brucie Boy  
Part 4  
Joker smiled, all this time he had been searching for Gotham's caped crusader, the dark knight. He felt a little sad now. He had no idea why. He had finally discovered the true identity of the Batman and somehow he felt hallow inside. The chase was over. There was no need to try and peek beneath his opponent's mask anymore. Sure he could always taunt Bruce but sooner or later the game was going to end and he was finally beginning to realize this.  
The game was ending… He couldn't believe it. It couldn't end like this! He couldn't win like this! Not by accident! It had to be planned. Batman had to die by his hand and his hand alone; he had to put together a brilliant scheme that would finally outwit him. Prove that he was smarter. He couldn't simply win because he had chosen to rob this particular house and had jumped head first into the rabbit hole when he saw Bruce escaping. He almost pouted then and there but despite it being the end of his fun there was no possible way to take it back and he wasn't about to waste this opportunity. It may be the last time he would ever see the batcave... or even Batman...

Bruce quickly leapt for his utility belt and costume. To his surprise Joker didn't move to stop him. He merely stood there, staring at him. Then Bruce realized why. Joker knew who he was. There was no need to fight him. He was no longer a mysterious figure in Joker's eyes, no longer a symbol of fear. He was merely a man in a bat suit. Joker knew who he was. He could come and kill him anytime he wanted. He could reveal his identity to anyone he wished. In his opinion he had already won. The game was over... Even if he managed to get him out of the batcave and back to Arkham he would always know and unless he killed him he would always know... and even then Joker would still have the last laugh, for he would have accomplished what he had set out to do. Forced Bruce to break him one rule. Tonight both the Batman and Joker would end. Even if Joker continued on with his life of crime, he would have no mysterious sparring partner. He would stop trying to find the Batman's identity and the Joker himself would cease to exist because of that fact... Bruce suddenly felt cold.  
Joker's smile had faded now.  
"Come on Bruce. One more time?" Joker asked almost... solemnly?  
Joker was never sad. For the first time Bruce felt a slight connection with Joker and nodded his head in agreement as he slipped his mask on.  
"One more time..."

Alfred felt groggy and opened his eyes slightly to find himself in the batcave, his mouth feeling as if it had been stretched upward by a taffy puller.  
He looked around to find Bruce with his mask on and... Joker in the batcave?  
The two were fighting vigorously as Bruce swung a punch at Joker and Joker gave a sharp kick to Bruce, sending him reeling for a moment which Joker took advantage of and sent another kick towards Bruce's jaw. Bruce however was ready for this and grabbed joker's foot and spun him around and across the room. Neither of the two seemed to be paying him any attention.  
He scanned the room until his eyes fell upon an object of the Riddler's that Bruce had been studying. It was a memory device that allowed the controller to remember anything that they had experienced of read at the control of a remote. Bruce had recently been developing a similar machine only this machine caused the controller of the remote to forget things. He had planned to use this against the Riddler if he ever planned to use the device again by piggy backing off of the same frequency that the original machine used so that his machine would be rendered useless and cause him to forget where he was and what he was doing. However Bruce had abandoned this project because he had never been able to lock down on the frequency that Riddler had used.  
Alfred however saw more potential in the device however the Joker would never hold still long enough for him to place the device on his head. He looked around the room again and smiled as he retrieved the rather bulky medical tray with a few medical instruments upon it. He quickly turned the tray over, dumping the contents on the table he had just gotten up from.  
Bruce swung a swift kick to Joker's stomach causing him to sprawl backwards. Joker was disorientated for only a moment but this was long enough for Alfred to come up behind the Clown Prince of Crime and smack the back of the tray into his head, taking him by surprise and knocking him unconscious.  
Alfred smiled and so did Bruce as he saw what Alfred was doing.

Bruce managed to land a swift kick to Joker's stomach which sent him reeling backwards and before he or Joker could do anything he saw Alfred smack Joker in the back of the head with the medical tray. A bit unorthodox but effective he supposed.  
Joker seemed surprised by this and fell back unconscious.  
Bruce smiled at Alfred but Alfred merely walked back to the project area of the cave and retrieved something. What was he up to?  
Finally Bruce recognized it. He had recently abandoned the project and forgot about it because he had been unable to use it against the Riddler. Alfred placed the memory module around Joker's head and turned the dial to 1.  
Bruce was a bit worried. This device had never been tested. He wasn't sure if it would work or if it would scramble Joker's already twisted mind.  
After a few seconds the machine kicked off and the Joker moaned as if he had an awful headache but remained on the floor. Bruce quickly lifted him up and placed him in the batmobile as he hopped in the driver's seat and took off towards Arkham Asylum. He could only hope that the machine had worked and that Joker could no longer remember what had happened or what he had discovered.


	5. Feeling a little funny

Brucie Boy Part 5  
Joker groaned in his sleep as Bruce quickly drove to Arkham. With any luck he'd still be unconscious when they arrived are the orderlies would have no problems locking him in his cell once more. Unfortunately luck wasn't in his favor and Joker lifted his head groggily, even his ghoulish, permanent grin seemed to falter when the city's lights shone through the windows of the batmobile.  
"My head is killing me... It should be off killing someone else..." He groaned and finally looked around to see that he was in fact in the batmobile.  
"Did you gas me or something bats? I seem a little out of it. More than usual."  
Bruce remained silent and Joker pouted when he received no response.  
"What did I even do this time?" Joker asked as if he were a small child trying to escape punishment.  
"You can ask Penguin when he arrives." Bruce stated matter-of-factly.  
"And why would I want to talk to that birdbrain?"  
Bruce again remained silent as they pulled up to the front of the asylum. A string of orderlies and guards waited at the front gate, ready to take Joker back to his cell.  
Batman happily obliged and handed Joker over and just as quickly as he had done so he hopped back behind the wheel of the batmobile and drove off.  
Meanwhile back at the mansion Alfred tended to Penguin, injecting him with the vile of antidote Bruce had prepared earlier that week.  
After a few minutes Penguin's facial features relaxed and he regained some color. Penguin was still unconscious but his breathing picked up and before long Alfred wished that he would wake up. Penguin's snoring was almost as annoying as one of Joker's laughing fits.  
Finally Bruce arrived to take Penguin back to the asylum as well much to Alfred's relief and to Bruce's dismay.  
Penguin was still asleep when the orderlies escorted him back to his cell. He didn't wake up until later that night when he discovered he had been placed in a straightjacket for bad behavior. His expression turned dour.  
"Figures..."  
He stood up slowly, still a little wobbly due to his long nap.  
"Batman has to ruin all the fun..."  
And then he remembered. Joker had gassed him.  
"Joker! You crazed harlequin! Where are you?" Penguin howled angrily.  
Joker couldn't help himself from giggling as Penguin shouted.  
"What's wrong Pengi? Got your feathers in a bunch again?"  
"You know EXACTLY what's wrong you idiot! You gassed me and now we're back in Arkham!"  
"Gassed you? I don't remember gassing you... Although you would look a lot better if you smiled a little more." At this Joker laughed hysterically causing a couple of guards to scold him.  
"What do you mean you don't remember gassing me! My jaws still hurt from your stupid grin gas. Everything was going great. We'd looted almost all Wayne's stuff and then when I came in the kitchen you said you needed a moment alone with Wayne and gassed me!"  
"OOH! Did I gas Wayne to?"  
"How should I know? You gassed me!"  
Joker seemed a little angry now.  
"Oh, shut up birdbrain. If I remember correctly "I" was the one who got us out of here wasn't I!"  
Penguin continued to grumble but remained silent otherwise.  
This seemed to satisfy Joker and he turned back to look at the interior of his cell again.  
Why couldn't he remember? He remembered all his heists... So why not this one? Strange... Could Bats have used a new trick? But why the memory loss? What was the need to erase his memory unless... Had he REALLY unmasked the batman?  
This seemed to frustrate him even more. Stupid memory loss...  
He'd gassed Penguin... Why had he gassed Penguin? Besides the obvious reason of twisting his sour expression into a permanent smile. It just didn't make sense.  
What would he have found so interesting about Wayne that he would want to talk to him in private in the kitchen?  
Something wasn't right. And he was going to find out what it was...


	6. A Curious Patient

Brucie Boy part 6  
Penguin had refused to speak to Joker for four days now and Joker was actually happy for the peace and quiet that was so rare at Arkham. All the "normal" people found Joker deranged and sometimes even childish; little did they know what went on in his head. Joker rolled his eyes thinking of this. How would they know? Last time he checked the only two people who had ever been in his head were Batman and that idiot Dr. Strange. His memories still hadn't returned and he was becoming more and more concerned that something important had happened that night and that he NEEDED to remember it. He wanted to slap the side of his head to try and jog his memories but unfortunately he had been placed in a straight jacket once again. It wasn't even his colorful one either. He pouted a little. These stupid doctors would get what was coming to them sooner or later however.  
This thought seemed to cheer him up a little bit and he grinned devilishly, causing one of the other patients to look up at him interestedly.  
He looked back at the patient, narrowing his eyes threateningly causing her to quickly swing their head in the other direction.

What was Joker's problem? She wondered. He hadn't hardly spoken since he had arrived except to mock one of the orderlies every once in a while.  
Something was wrong. Usually by now he had tried to either escape or make one of the more disturbed patients try and kill themselves.  
Why did she even care anyway? She thought about this for a moment and shrugged. He was entertaining she supposed. The most interesting thing around Arkham anyway.  
She stole another glance at Joker before she shook her head and walked over to the couch area where she happily plopped down to watch one of the only three channels they were allowed to have.  
Another stupid story on Bruce Wayne… She almost changed the channel but paused and turned up the volume slightly.  
"We have witnesses at the scene saying they saw the infamous Penguin and Joker breaking into Wayne Manner four nights ago. Both Penguin and Joker now reside in Arkham Asylum where they will HOPEFULLY serve the remainder of their sentence."  
Now why would Joker of all people want to work with Penguin? Sure Wayne Manner was a big heist but usually Joker worked alone… Maybe Penguin knew the details and let Joker in on it? But then why would Penguin want to let Joker in on a big heist? It just didn't make sense unless one or both of them had planned to trick the other into doing most of the work and then stealing from the other after the heist was finished.  
That would be the most reasonable thing to do. Although with those two it was hard to tell exactly what was reasonable to them. But… who was she to talk…  
She grinned evilly as she watched a patient across the room cower away from her gaze. She chuckled a little bit but soon turned her attention back to Joker.  
"I wonder… Can the clown prince of crime take a joke?"  
Soon the orderlies came in to escort the patients back to their rooms. For all they knew she was one of the perfect patients. She rarely spoke and smiled at the other patients. No one at Arkham knew her name however and she preferred it that way. When Hugo Strange asked her about her name she would simply tell him her name was of no importance and when he pressed harder she would simply smile at him and remain silent despite his ramblings. He would eventually get bored. Her record for being silent surpassed two months, which greatly annoyed him.  
She stole one last glance at Joker and smiled, anyone who truly knew her, not the fake presentation she put up for the orderlies or the rats but TRULY knew her, knew exactly what she smiled about and everyone else would soon find out just what it was only for it to be too late…


	7. A Free Show

Brucie Boy part 7  
Joker looked out the window of the recreational room frustrated as he continued to grasp at the hazy memories of the night he had returned to Arkham. Even Dr. Strange had noticed this change in mood and had tried to find out just what was wrong. Surprise, surprise…  
He couldn't stand it anymore. Maybe old Brucie boy had an idea about what happened that night. If he had wanted to talk to him in private surely he would have at least gassed him or something. Joker looked up at the T.V. screen. A picture of Bruce on a date with Vicky Vale flashed across the screen as E news came on telling about his love life. Like anyone wanted to know what Brucie boy did on his evenings off. He was just about as dull as they came.  
The corners of his lips arched up at this as his smile returned and he let out a howling laugh, which startled a few of the orderlies and even a few patients.  
"What are you all looking at? I got something in my teeth?" He let out another howling laugh as he got strange stares from around the room.  
One of the patients he had seen the other day walked over to where he was sitting and sat down, totally ignoring his presence even though she had approached him.  
"What do you want?"  
She grinned for a little bit and then looked up towards him.  
"Just getting a good seat for the show…"  
He looked at her oddly now. What "show" was she talking about? Any show around here would involve him.  
She turned back and gazed towards the doors leading into the recreational room.  
She counted. "Three…Two…One…"  
Suddenly Penguin was shoved through the doors in a straightjacket he hadn't been wearing earlier, his face red with anger and embarrassment as the orderlies shoved him in.  
This captured Joker's interest.  
"That is a show... Just how did you know about this?"  
"I'll tell you in a minute. Just watch for one more minute."  
Joker reluctantly removed his gaze from the strange girl and eyed the doorway once more.  
Dr. Hugo Strange walked through the door, his face red with embarrassment as he berated Penguin for something, his entire head shone in the florescent lighting as he struggled to replace his toupee.  
Joker howled with laughter now and pounded his head against the window. He slowly wiped the tears from his eyes with his foot and faced the girl once more.  
"So, just how did you know about this?"  
"Know about it? Who do you think put the toupee in Penguin's cell?"  
They both laughed maniacally at this.  
Things were going just as planned…


	8. Curiosity

Brucie Boy part 8  
Joker took a breath so he could finally speak. "So, what's your name?"  
The girl wiped the tears from her eyes and turned towards him. She stopped laughing but her smile remained.  
"Couldn't tell you if I wanted to." She replied almost matter-of-factly.  
"Why not? Do you have amnesia or something? Or are you some secret agent?" He smiled sarcastically at the last part.  
"No, I just can't remember which name is my real name. I've had so many it's hard to keep track."  
Joker was curious now. He knew absolutely nothing about this girl yet he felt as if he should.  
"So… What should I call you then? I don't want to go around calling you something like girl or green eyes or something stupid like that."  
The girl's smile widened now, showing her sharp teeth, making her look very similar to the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.  
"You can call me Curiosity." She said as she left to go with one of the orderlies to her cell.  
Joker hesitated for a moment before going with the five orderlies required to escort him back to his cell.  
She looked SO familiar. Where had he seen her before? It seemed as if she had known something that he didn't and this puzzled him even more. Could it have had something to do with the night of his return to Arkham? Or had it been something so long ago that his memories had fogged over and left him with only the recognition of her face?  
He concentrated as he was taken back to his cell. He stared vacantly at the rain battering the small window high above him.  
The rain pattered the ground with a soft sound and before he knew it he had fallen asleep, thinking, and unable to satisfy his insatiable… Curiosity.


	9. A Peaceful Night at Arkham Asylum

Brucie Boy part 9  
Curiosity lay on her back resting; her eyes closed but her mind wide awake, listening to the roll of thunder in the distance. Lightning cracked not far away and she smiled slightly. This place may not be paradise but she enjoyed it for the little things, the soft patter of rain on the window panes above her head, the footsteps of the passing orderly, even the faint sound of a clock ticking outside her cell door.  
The nights at Arkham were peaceful in a sense but she knew what lurked in the minds of the nearby patients. It scared her sometimes. To think that every other person in the world had their own thoughts, their own desires, dreams, and nightmares. Every person here was unique. She had once thought that the people around her thought of the same things just from a different stand point but if everyone thought of the same things then the world was a much more frightening and dismal place for she knew what lurked in the recesses of her own mind and the feelings that went with these thoughts.  
She smiled again and this time almost laughed, but stopped herself for she didn't want to attract any unwanted attention here. Just a little longer… just a little longer and she would have what she wanted and be out of here. Her whole reason for being here was not because she had been careless or had tried to kill herself, but because of her insatiable curiosity for which she had named herself for.  
Aliases came and went but Curiosity was a name that always suited her, no matter the situation.  
She sat up and looked out of her cell as the last orderly walked by for the next hour and twenty minutes. She watched him leave, walking past her cell without even glancing inside. She wasn't considered one of the more "dangerous" patients.  
She almost laughed at this. What did they know?  
She had been diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder because of her refusal to speak for two months when she first decided that she was going to Arkham. She had her "friends" in this city send recommend her to a psychiatrist first and then when she refused to speak and stared off into space during the appointments she was sent to Arkham just as planned to see Dr. Hugo Strange. They attempted to print her and find out her name but it was impossible. She was born without ridges on her fingers and toes. Her hands and feet were totally smooth.  
Now was the time to put her plan into action AND maybe get a little revenge on that stupid Dr. Strange who constantly annoyed her with questions about her real name even though she had told him many times that she had forgotten it. She had studied the cameras on her way back to her cell thoroughly and come to the conclusion that three cameras in the hall were dummies. And it just so happened that one of these cameras was directly in front of her cell.  
She grinned, showing off her sharp teeth, causing her to look like the Cheshire cat once more. She removed the keys she had retrieved from Dr. Strange's office when she had stolen his hair piece from the tank of her toilet and reached around to unlock her cell. Everything was going just as planned…


	10. An Arsonist in Arkham Asylum

Brucie Boy part 10  
Joker awoke to the sound of alarms and the smell of smoke. Thick black smoke choked the air as the cell doors finally opened. Joker leapt out into the hall and wound his way out of the sleeves on his straight jacket so that they hung down at his sides. He looked down the hall where several patients were leaving their cells and running towards the exit. The orange blaze behind him seemed to be coming from one room in particular, Dr. Strange's office. Joker howled with laughter as he ran from the building. He scanned the grounds quickly looking around to make sure the Gotham PD wasn't around to try and stop him. He heard sirens in the distance but the police hadn't arrived just yet. He hurried off the bridge and made his way down to the docks where his temporary hideout lay. ON his way there however he heard a sound as he stopped. He looked around but saw no one.  
"I know you're there! I may be crazy but I'm not stupid!" He said as if he had been insulted.  
Still no one came forward. He listened hard, straining to hear a sound that would send him in the direction of the mysterious figure. Nothing…  
He turned around quickly to the sound of leaves crunching only to see a green eyed girl with a toothy grin on her face.  
"Hello, Joker." Curiosity said as if she'd done nothing wrong and had merely been standing there.  
"Hello… how long have you been here?"  
"Not very long, I had to make sure you weren't the GPD or someone else before I came out."  
This made sense but he was still a little wary of the girl. Could she have been waiting for him?  
"Why are you here and not back there with the rest of the patients?"  
At this she gave him a sarcastic glance that seemed to ask him if he was really serious.  
"I was heading down to the docks. Who'd want to stay with those idiots and wait around for the GPD to show up and lock you back up? Plus, it wouldn't look very good if they caught me, especially if someone happened to see me out of my cell just before the explosion." She grinned widely at this.  
Joker seemed satisfied with this and she gave him a small reassuring smile.  
"So…" Joker smiled at the thought as he watched smoke pour out into the sky from the asylum, "How'd you do it?"  
Curiosity's smile widened as she watched the smoke billow from the burning building.  
"Dr. Strange should have known better, cigarettes are bad for your health."  
Joker smiled and started walking back towards the docks. Curiosity followed shortly after him.  
He stole a quick glance over his shoulder; this girl was definitely a curiosity. Never had he been followed back to his hide out (except in prank's case but this was different); much less LET someone follow him. Maybe this wasn't a bad thing though. Perhaps he would finally answer all his questions… as long as she didn't try to blow up his hideout to.  
He laughed at this and allowed her to catch up to him. Things were about to get really interesting.


	11. Cigarettes are Bad for Your Health

Brucie Boy part 11  
Curiosity had watched Dr. Strange during their sessions. Most of the time she was silent, avoiding his questions and eye contact to both annoy him and further establish her supposed condition. When she looked around his office on the third day of "therapy", more like twenty questions about her childhood, she happened to see a pack of cigarettes in Dr. Strange's coat pocket. This had given her an idea.  
Dr. Strange had his own personal office with a gas fire place and a private study area. Just the type of thing she was looking for. Of course there was also a carbon monoxide detector as well… She would just have to deal with that later…  
After she escaped her cell she put her plan into action. She wanted to make sure that everything went according to plan and that she returned the keys to Dr. Strange's office before they were missed and he grew suspicious.  
She hurriedly dodged the cameras placed in the hall and unlocked his office door. She sighed in relief as she realized no one was in the room, this made it a whole lot easier.  
She slid in and stood on the chair used for patient therapy and reached for the carbon monoxide detector on the wall above her. When she had that in hand she turned it over and gently removed the batteries and replaced it on the wall.  
She listened carefully, still no sign of anyone coming. She then approached the fire place and quickly turned up the heat and blew out the flame.  
Then for the final touch she removed the half empty pack of cigarettes and placed them on his desk, replacing his keys in his jacket. She then turned for the door, locking it as she left.  
Everything was in place. All she had to do now was find her way out of here and wait.  
The laundry Shoot may have been a little cliché but she really had no time to find a more unique exit. She was small enough that she could fit down it without much trouble.  
Much to her dismay she found that she HAD actually found a more unique escape route… the GARBAGE shoot… Lucky for her the dumpster was nearly empty and she was tall enough to hoist herself out of the dumpster.  
Escape was something she was good at but maybe she could use some more field experience at locating the right exits.  
Just as this thought crossed her mind she heard a loud explosion from behind her. She smiled and quickly ran across the grounds to the bridge leading to Arkham. She then hid under the bridge until she was sure that she hadn't been followed.  
When no footsteps came she swam to the other side of the bank and crawled ashore, making her way to the docks. However when she found herself nearly halfway there she heard heavy footsteps. She suddenly stopped and hid behind a tree, stepping loudly on a stick in the process. A voice called…  
"I know you're there! I may be crazy but I'm not stupid!"  
Curiosity hesitated for a moment but finally revealed herself.  
"Hello, Joker."


	12. Chasing Ghosts

Brucie Boy part 12  
Bruce felt hollow inside when he received the report that several patients had escaped Arkham Asylum after one of the orderlies typed in the codes necessary to release all of the patients due to a massive explosion. Joker and Penguin were among those patients.  
Five of the missing patients had been found by police by the time he arrived on the scene. That meant that three more patients were still loose and two of them happened to be Joker and Penguin.  
The explosion had evidentially been caused by a gas leak in Dr. Strange's office. He had been in the room at the time of the explosion; however he had been on his way out the door when he lit a cigarette. He had been severely burned and he was in critical condition at the moment but the medics were optimistic about his condition and said that he would most likely survive unless complications were to arise later on.  
Thankfully no one else was hurt in the explosion and everyone was out of the building before any permanent damage could be done.  
The east wall of Arkham Asylum now rested beneath his feet, thick with soot and ash. Security cameras had been checked for any evidence of the perpetrator but none was found.  
He had personally accessed and reviewed all of this footage himself. It seemed as if he were chasing a ghost.  
Bruce checked the batwave again, still no sign of the three patients. He knew Joker and Penguin were on the loose but the third patient's identity seemed to elude everyone. The only information on the patient was that she was a short brunette with green eyes. Everything else about her was a mystery. She had no fingerprints, no name, and no history. When she had entered the facility she had entered under an alias, Sadie Curio, written Curio, Sadie or Curiosity.  
There were no matches on her dental records and no form of identification found on her clothing.  
One orderly had told him personally that she had filed her teeth down into sharp points.  
Just who would go to such extreme measures to make sure that they were invisible? The only other person who had gone this far was Joker.  
Bruce thought on this. Dr. Strange was still in critical condition and security was tight. Even if he were able to get past the guards it would be unlikely that Dr. Strange would be awake or even be able to speak to him. All of Dr. Strange's notes and personal belongings had either been destroyed in the explosion or engulfed in flame.  
For now this "Curiosity" would have to wait however. Because of the measures she took she was apparently very paranoid and she would therefore most likely be extremely dangerous. However Batman couldn't spend all night chasing ghosts while Joker and Penguin, two extremely dangerous criminals themselves, were still at large.  
No matter what Joker's plans were they all had one constant theme… fun, or rather Joker's own twisted version of fun.  
He would start looking for him there and pray that seeing a familiar face wouldn't bring back any memories that were better off forgotten.


	13. Relishing Old Memories?

Brucie Boy part 13  
Joker and Curiosity approached a dilapidated old building near the docks with a large, red letter J painted on the door. However instead of opening the door Joker walked around the building and hopped in through an open window and motioned for Curiosity to follow.  
She contemplated asking Joker for a moment why they didn't just come through the front door but decided against as she saw what was behind it.  
A large Jack in the box stood next to the door, a narrow wire issued from the jester's mouth and wrapped around the doorknob.  
"I see we both have a strong liking for pyrotechnics."  
Joker turned in her direction to look at the jack in the box and laughed.  
"I suppose, although these things only blow out the door and part of the walls. Don't want to damage any of precious chemicals now do I?"  
"Wouldn't it be funny if someone actually knocked on that door!"  
Joker howled with laughter as he paraded down the stairs in a show like manner.  
"The punch line would KILL them!"  
Curiosity followed Joker down the steps, although it usually went against her nature to be lead places… especially basements…  
She shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of the awful thoughts encompassing her mind. She was prepared; this was NOW, not then. Even though ten years had passed she still remembered that day perfectly. If only she could remember her name as well…  
She was suddenly jarred from her thoughts as she caught Joker giving her an odd look.  
"What?"  
"What were you thinking about?"  
"Nothing… just relishing some old memories."  
"You didn't look as if you were just RELISHING old memories. When you do THAT you smile almost as wide as I do. So again, and the truth this time, what were you thinking about?"  
Curiosity mumbled under her breath.  
"The day I met you…"  
"Now why would you hate THAT day? Dr. Strange and Pengi couldn't show their faces around Arkham for the rest of the day! Or are you referring to a different date?"  
Curiosity looked surprised now and she let it show. Something she didn't normally do.  
"You mean you don't remember? I suppose it was a long time ago and it WAS a really chaotic night for both of us."  
Now it was Joker's turn to be surprised.  
"What do you mean a long time ago? I thought you knew something about the night I returned to Arkham!"  
"No… I was curious about that as well. I was wondering why you would want to go somewhere with Penguin."  
"Well… everything from that night is a little foggy. I really haven't the slightest clue about that night. So…"  
Joker approached Curiosity, backing her into a corner and holding her there. She gave him a nasty look now but remained still, her fingers tracing the outline of a pocket knife in the fabric of her pants.  
"Just what night are you referring to?"


	14. To Comfort or Carve

Brucie Boy part 14  
"I'm sure you remember exactly what night I'm talking about…." Curiosity said, keeping her eyes locked with Joker's. She may not have felt exactly as confident as she made herself appear but if she ever wanted to know her name (or survive the night) she couldn't back down.  
Joker eyed her carefully but eventually let her go and motioned for her to sit on a couch on the opposite wall.  
"Sit." He said rather impatiently.  
Curiosity eyed him once more but obliged.  
"If you're talking about the night I think you're talking about then you're definitely treading on thin ice coming here…"  
"I knew the risks when I got myself admitted into Arkham."  
Joker raised a nonexistent eyebrow but said nothing. She had never seen him this serious before. She had obviously struck a nerve bringing up this conversation.  
His frown finally faded slightly as he took her in and sat down across from her.  
"How would you know anything about that night? I knew everyone there and they all ran out on me and were shot by the GPD and the ones that survived I killed myself. Besides… you had to be like 6 at the time right?"  
Curiosity grew a little irritated at that last part.  
"I was thirteen…" she mumbled.  
Joker looked shocked at this.  
"Thirteen? But that would mean you're…"  
He took another look at her and she raised an eyebrow at him.  
"Twenty three." She provided as if he weren't capable of the simple math.  
He continued to stare at her for a moment but eventually shrugged his shoulders.  
"Still, what would a thirteen year old be doing at a chemical factory in the middle of the night?"  
Curiosity's jaw practically dropped. Joker had no idea who she was! She had locked herself in Arkham, blown up Dr. Strange's office, released all of the patients, and followed Joker to the docks and he had no clue as to who she was! Well if he didn't remember then she would just have to remind him…  
"Maybe you remember my father… your friend when you worked at the chemical factory! Your "friends" shot him just before they tried to shoot you! You went over the edge into the chemicals just as "Batman" showed up with the GPD!" She said, treating the word Batman as a curse.  
"I had come to work with my father that night because he didn't feel good about leaving me at home alone! When the GPD showed up Batman fought off some of the men and then just TOOK OFF and left all of us there with the GPD! My father died the next day and they sent me into witness protection with a foster family who LOCKED me in the basement for practically three years! Finally I escaped and set that place on fire before I left to see how it made THEM feel to be trapped like that."  
Curiosity suddenly realized that she'd gotten out of her seat and was now holding the pocket knife in front of her. She quickly turned on her heals and sat back on the couch, tucking the knife away again.  
"Sorry about that." She apologized slowly with her head down, attempting to calm down and combat the tears that threatened to spill over.  
Joker stared at the girl surprised at her sudden fury. He didn't know what to do now, hug her, carve her up, scream at her, or console her. So he did the only thing that came to mind at the time and kissed her.  
This startled her but she didn't fight against it. Everything was just so confusing right now all she wanted to do was let him kiss her and hopefully move on.


	15. Awkward

Brucie Boy part 15  
Joker pulled away after a moment and Curiosity was silent. Curiosity fidgeted a little but Joker continued to stare at her, unaware of the awkward situation.  
Curiosity could feel Joker's eyes on her and things were starting to get a little weird. She half-consciously took out her pocket knife and started pushing the blade out and in. Joker's eyes shifted to this and he laughed.  
"You're not going to try and stab me on the first date are you?"  
She laughed now, trying to ease the tension.  
"This hardly counts as a date and no, I'm not going to stab you… unless you think you have any chances of getting to second base."  
They both howled with laughter at this and Curiosity smiled, showing her sharp teeth in a slightly creepy, slightly cute way.  
"So, how'd you get your teeth like that? Don't tell me you're related to Croc or something…" he said jokingly.  
She laughed. "No, I shaved them down myself. I wouldn't advise you to do something like that though. It's extremely painful."  
"Really… maybe I should try my hand at being a dentist then!" He grinned.  
Curiosity laughed now.  
"If you become a dentist I'll be the nurse with the drill!"  
They both laughed for some time before a sudden crash was heard from upstairs, causing them both to stop mid breath. Joker turned to the stairs and glared.  
"Looks like we've got company. " He thought and looked back at Curiosity with a devious smile.  
"Wanna start now? It looks like we've got our first customer."  
Curiosity beamed and nodded looking at the stairs expectantly; her eyes alight with sadistic pleasure as she took out her pocket knife. Things were about to get fun…


	16. Can You Take a Joke?

Brucie Boy part 16  
Zai paced back and forth in her cell. Things were really boring in Arkham. Except for the occasional escape attempt, or prank on Dr. Strange, she laughed as she remembered her mischief. Suddenly she was jarred from her thoughts as she heard and earsplitting crack. She jumped to her door and watched as angry flames licked the walls down the hallway.  
"Dr. Strange's office…"  
She thought and then she glared at an invisible Joker on her door and mumbled...  
"Great! You blew up my doctor. Now how am I supposed to leave?"  
As if in answer to her question the cell doors to all of the inmate's rooms sprang open.  
"I guess there's one way of course…"  
Zai ran from the building as fast as her legs would carry her, bounding past any surprised orderlies who were trying to deal with the chaos.  
Zai may not be able to go home but she had another plan. It was time to see if the Clown Prince of Crime could actually take a joke.  
Zai ran to the place where she had last seen catwoman and stopped. Catwoman had offered her a partnership…  
Suddenly she heard a noise from behind her. Without turning around Zai said confidently…  
"I know you're there…"  
After a few seconds a lean figure appeared from the shadows, Catwoman.  
"Change your mind about our little… partnership?"  
She said slyly as she moved around Zai.  
"Possibly… but there's something I think you would be interested to know…"  
"Oh rrreally" Catwoman said, drawing out the r sound in a purr like manner.  
"Yes… Joker's escaped again and there was a rumor in Arkham that Penguin and he had stolen and hidden a few things from Wayne manner before they were returned… Penguin seemed PRETTY irritated because Wayne only had CAT stuff and no BIRD stuff and he was REALLY angry when he returned because Joker had evidently GASSED him after he'd loaded up all of the stuff."  
Catwoman seemed interested now.  
"So… Why are you telling ME this? Why wouldn't you just go after the stuff yourself?"  
Zai smiled innocently.  
"I don't know where Joker's hideout is… My guess is… you do."  
Catwoman nodded her head in satisfaction.  
"How much do you want?"  
Zai thought for a moment.  
"Twenty percent."  
Catwoman purred.  
"You've got yourself a deal…"  
The two shook hands quickly and Catwoman disappeared as she heard someone approaching. Detective Yin…  
Unfortunately Zai was a fraction too slow on the draw and Yin grabbed her, cuffing her hands behind her back and shoving her into the back of the police car that was waiting nearby.  
Although Zai was a little disappointed that she was again going back to Arkham she smiled slightly. Joker was going to have his hands full when Catwoman came by looking for his nonexistent valuables. She just hoped that she would be ready to deal with Catwoman when she returned without the fictional treasures…


	17. Curiosity Killed the Cat

Brucie Boy part 17  
Curiosity and Joker reached the top of the stairs only to see nothing. The air was filled with smoke and dust, making it nearly impossible for the two to see the intruder… or what was left of them…  
Time seemed to stand still in that instant as both Joker and Curiosity waited for the smoke to clear. Even Catwoman stood frozen in place, watching the scene from above. She had planned things perfectly. As they took the bait she would make her way down the stairs where some of Joker's more valuable things would be hidden… Who was the girl though? This seemed to catch her off guard. She knew all the villains in this city and most of the people in the shadier parts of town. Why would Joker be hanging out with her? Was she from a different city? Possibly but she couldn't stand around and wait for them to turn around. She had to act quickly before all of the smoke cleared and they realized that they'd been duped.  
She leapt down the stairs, landing on her hands and feet in a cat like crouch. She rose to her feet and purred softly as she gazed around the basement.  
Curiosity had an uneasy feeling now. There had been no scream, shout, nothing… No one moaning in pain. Something wasn't right…  
She headed down the stairs and motioned for Joker to stay put. He smiled but remained where he was.  
Curiosity treaded lightly on the stairs. Taking extra caution as she entered the basement. What she saw she couldn't believe. It was Catwoman! Looking through Joker's valuables. This irritated her slightly and she spoke…  
"Curiosity killed the cat you know…"  
Catwoman spun around stunned her claws out and ready.  
Curiosity gave her a look as if she were joking and gave her a toothy smile.  
Catwoman looked to the stairs to see if Joker was going to follow in after this girl. When he didn't she relaxed.  
"And just who are you exactly?"  
"Curiosity…"  
Curiosity stepped forward, her pocket knife extended.  
Catwoman took out her whip.  
"Eh eh eh… "She said, warning Curiosity to step back.  
However Curiosity seemed uninterested in the whip and merely kept her pace. Catwoman seemed a little shocked now. Why would anyone willingly risk getting whipped like that?  
Catwoman leapt over Curiosity in a vain attempt to reach the other end of the room where she could whip her from behind. However Curiosity was ready for this and she quickly grasped Catwoman's ankle, causing her to land in front of her.  
"Who are you?" Catwoman asked surprised.  
"I already told you… Curiosity." Curiosity said matter-of-factly.  
The smoke had cleared now and Joker inspected the barren living room. The door and part of the wall had been destroyed but there was no body. Curiosity still hadn't returned from the basement. He wondered what she was up to.  
Soon enough curiosity got the better of him and he headed down the stairs only to find Curiosity sitting on top of Catwoman with her pocket knife out. Catwoman had her whip in hand and was attempting to extend her arm far enough to crack it but before she could do so Joker walked over and retrieved it.  
"Hey! Get your paws off of my whip!" Catwoman shouted angrily.  
Joker roared with laughter.  
"This is HILLARIOUS! Curiosity about to kill the cat!"  
Curiosity smiled wide showing her extremely sharp teeth, her eyes wild with expectation.  
Catwoman struggled to get back to her feet or at least get the girl off of her chest but failed. Joker spoke.  
"Why are you here kitty? You know I don't like cats…" he frowned.  
"Someone told me you stole some cat statues from Wayne manner and hid them here."  
"Now who would tell you something like that? I didn't steal anything at Wayne manner. Batman showed up and gassed me. Everything from that night is a little fuzzy."  
Curiosity was getting impatient with the sudden questionnaire.  
"Some girl… she had the strangest eyes, one green and one purple. She seemed to know a LOT about you Joker."  
Joker scowled now.  
"Zai…"  
Curiosity wondered who Zai was but when Joker turned to leave she forgot all about it. She turned back to Catwoman and ripped her goggles off and holding the knife to her cheek.  
Suddenly there was another loud crash from the living room. This startled Curiosity and Catwoman used just this distraction to push the girl off of her and run for the exit.  
Curiosity started to chase after her but was caught from behind and thrust at the wall. She rubbed her head and frowned at the figure in front of her, Batman.  
"Not a very wise decision…" Curiosity replied in a venomous tone as she withdrew her pocket knife once more.  
"Just who are you?" Batman replied after thrusting a batarang at the knife in her hand.  
Curiosity was fuming now.  
"WHO AM I? Maybe YOU could tell me that…"  
Batman attempted to grab Curiosity but she only advanced on him and kicked him sharply in the gut, sending him reeling backward.  
This girl was strong. What did she mean by saying he could tell her, her name. Did he know her from somewhere?  
Curiosity attempted to run up the stairs but was grabbed from behind. She quickly bit down on batman's arm, piercing the glove.  
Bruce bit his lip in pain but held her firm and reached into his utility belt retrieving the knockout gas. He sprayed it in the girls face.  
She tried not to breathe in the gas but it was no use. She felt her limbs grow heavy and before she knew it she had released her grip on Batman's arm and was sinking to her knees.  
Whoever this Zai girl was she was going to pay for this. If she hadn't been distracted by Catwoman she and Joker would have been prepared for Batman. Arkham was the last place she wanted to be right now…


	18. Recollection

Brucie Boy part 18  
Batman looked at the girl unconscious in his arms. Thinking about the events of the night…  
He had checked the carnival and two of the three party favor stores in Gotham and still no Joker. Suddenly his batwave lit up.  
There was an explosion reported off of the docks.  
Not Joker's typical hideout out but something none the less.  
Bruce cut the wheel sharply, turning the Batmobile around and speeding off toward the docks.  
When he got there he quickly parked the car out of sight and made his way to the end of the docks where he found that one of the buildings was partially crumbling and black soot stained what was left of the doorway.  
Batman narrowed his eyes. The head of a jester lay at the entrance of the building.  
Joker was here, or at least had been here recently. The air still smelled faintly of smoke and cinders lined the ground as he entered the building. He could hear voices from down the stairs and he listened carefully.  
"This is HILLARIOUS! Curiosity about to kill the cat!"  
Curiosity? Joker was obviously referring to Catwoman as the cat but Curiosity ABOUT to kill the cat? It almost sounded as if he were talking about a person.  
There was another voice… Catwoman's voice but it sounded muffled and he couldn't make out what she was saying. Then Joker spoke once more.  
"Zai…"  
Zai? The girl that Joker had been chasing last month? What did she have to do with any of this?  
Suddenly someone started to come up the stairs. Batman hid quickly, wanting to learn more of the situation.  
Joker walked up the stairs, a grimace on his normally chipper face. This was really strange. If Joker had Catwoman in the basement why had he left her down there? She couldn't be dead he still heard movement from down the stairs. Could this "Curiosity" actually be a person?  
Suddenly Joker stopped in mid step and smiled.  
"Well hello Bats! What brings you here to my humble abode?" Joker laughed.  
Batman glared at him.  
"What have you done to Catwoman?"  
Joker pretended to look shocked.  
"You mean you're not here to see me?" he said in a mockingly disappointed tone.  
"Where is she Joker?" Batman said impatiently.  
Joker grinned.  
"Well if Curiosity has her way she'll be in several places soon enough."  
Joker laughed and thrust a kick into Batman's stomach.  
Batman quickly turned to the side and swung a powerful kick into Joker's back causing him to fly forward into the wall in front of him.  
Joker quickly got to his feet and sent four razor sharp playing cards sailing at Batman.  
Batman quickly blocked them and quickly connected his fist with Joker's jaw. Joker spiraled backward and leaned against the wall for a moment an angry expression on his face. Suddenly his face lit up and a smile spread across his face as he stood up straight and starred into his eyes. This worried Bruce.  
"Nice try… Brucie boy…" Joker grinned stretching even his tight lips.  
Joker reached for another playing card. However Batman was quicker and her sent a powerful kick into Joker's abdomen causing Joker to slam into the wall and fall back unconscious.  
Someone was still struggling in the basement so, putting his current predicament aside, Bruce rushed down the stairs to see a brown haired girl holding a knife to Catwoman's cheek. Suddenly a clang issued from the living room and the girl looked up, giving Catwoman the perfect opportunity to shove her off of her and leap up the stairs past him before he could stop her.  
The girl leapt to her feet and attempted to chase her but Batman quickly thrust her into the opposite wall.  
She rubbed her head and got to her feet.  
"Not a very wise decision…" The girl said in a venomous tone as she withdrew her pocket knife.  
"Just who are you?" Batman replied after thrusting a batarang at the knife in her hand.  
"WHO AM I? Maybe YOU could tell me that…"  
What had she meant by that? He just couldn't wrap his mind around it…


	19. A Girl Named Zai

Brucie Boy part 19  
Batman headed up the stairs to take care of Joker, Curiosity safely in the Batmobile. However when he reached the main level Joker was nowhere to be seen and a shelf that previously held several bottles and cans in the kitchen was now swept clean.  
Certainly Joker wouldn't tell any of Gotham's other villains… right? Joker was too vain to let the other villains in on what he considered HIS secret. However this didn't mean Joker would hold off destroying his reputation and revealing his secret to ALL of Gotham personally…  
He had to stay calm, think about things rationally… try to find Joker… before the rest of Gotham could find him…  
He thought about the girl who now slept peacefully in the passenger seat of the Batmobile. Had Joker told her? Should he try the memory machine again? It hadn't worked on Joker evidentially so it would be riskier to take her to the Batcave when he really wasn't even sure she knew anything at all.  
He walked back to the Batmobile and made sure all of Curiosity's restrains were fastened before he got in himself. He looked at his arm. It had stopped bleeding for the most part but warm blood still trickled down his arm as he pulled out of the alleyway he had hidden the Batmobile in. It looked as if he'd been bitten by an animal of some sort. If he didn't know better he'd have sworn he'd been bitten by Dracula himself but there were too many punctures for even Dracula's teeth, excluding the fact that he'd watched Dracula himself smolder into a pile of ashes.  
He looked over at the girl sleeping softly next to him as he sped over to Arkham Island. She looked so sweet; it was hard to believe that just a few minutes ago she had been trying to carve a smile onto Catwoman's face.  
Batman finally pulled up to Arkham Asylum, rain dotting his windshield. Five orderlies hid under an awning, waiting for him to drop off the patient. Which patient? They had no clue. So they had come prepared. When Batman carried the girl over to them they eyed him quizzically but took her without a word.  
"This is patient #138." Batman said matter-of-factly.  
One of the orderlies nodded and they turned back to the building.  
When Curiosity awoke she was being wheeled on a gurney to a new cell. She raised her eyes quizzically at the orderlies around her. They stopped. Curiosity looked at the cell number, 320.  
"This isn't my cell…" Curiosity said, giving the orderlies a skeptical look.  
"We know, your old cell was damaged in the fire and because of your behavior you're being moved to this cell."  
"Behavior?" Curiosity asked innocently.  
"Escaping and not returning for treatment."  
"That's really not MY fault though… I ran into Joker and you really can't say no to Joker…" she said, really laying on her innocent act.  
The orderly smiled at her.  
"We'll take that into consideration, however we are short on cells at the moment so I'm afraid this one will have to do until your cell is repaired."  
"Thanks." Curiosity smiled.  
The orderly smiled at her warmly and left with the others.  
When all the orderlies left Curiosity frowned. There were no dummy cameras in this hallway. If she wanted to escape she'd have to find another way out.  
She laid down on the bed. At least she'd have time to think about this Zai person… Catwoman had said that she had one green eye and one purple?  
A strange combination… a very RECOGNIZABLE combination…


	20. Friend or Fiend?

Brucie Boy part 20  
Zai was lead back to her cell from recreational time. The orderly that was normally nice to her however wasn't present.  
Zai looked up as they approached her cell. A new girl sat in the cell next to hers which was normally empty. Her bright green eyes glowed as she watched Zai enter her cell. She smiled warmly, almost shyly. Zai returned the smile but entered her cell quietly.  
Zai turned to the orderly and asked…  
"Who's the new girl?"  
The orderly looked at her disinterestedly but finally shifted his bored gaze to the next cell.  
"Patient #320 now, she used to be patient #138. I believe her last name is …Curio? She won't talk to us. I guess you two have something in common…" he muttered, as he closed and locked her cell.  
Zai looked at the wall next to her for a moment, as if she had x-ray vision and could see the girl in the next cell if she just stood there long enough.  
A moment later Zai heard a voice.  
"So… You're Zai right?"  
This startled her. How did she already know her name?  
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help but notice your eyes and I heard about you pulling that prank on Dr. Strange from one of the orderlies. There really isn't much else to do here but eavesdrop on their conversations or find someone near you to talk to."  
Zai sighed, relieved that the girl wasn't some psychic or alien reading her thoughts (now that she thought about it, that theory wasn't too farfetched considering the inmates like Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc. ) She was just some curious girl in the next cell with nothing better to do.  
"Yeah, my name's Zai… So what's yours?" Zai probed, trying her hardest not to be rude.  
There was a pause and Zai almost regretted asking. But then what did she care? Silence wouldn't be anything unusual considering the cell used to be empty.  
"How about we talk about that during recreational time tomorrow? I'm a little tired. Fighting Batman's not exactly easy…" Curiosity mumbled the last part but Zai still made it out.  
"He caught you to?"  
"Yeah… I gave him a piece of my mind though. I took a hunk out of his arm."  
Zai laughed. "Yeah me to… except for the hunk out of the arm thing. I did manage to kick him in the gut pretty hard though. It's hard to find anyone here who likes Batman."  
The girl laughed. "Yeah, well evidently he doesn't like us either."  
"Well good night…"  
"Night."  
Zai smiled, maybe she could have at least one normal friend in here… just maybe…


	21. Trying to Play Nice

Brucie Boy part 21  
Curiosity finished the dinner they had left her that night. Recreational time was about to start soon. She had originally been brought a bowl of pale looking macaroni but she had innocently told them that she was allergic to the cheese. They persisted a little but she explained that unless they wanted to clean up a huge mess and possibly have to take her to the hospital then they didn't want to give her that macaroni. So, after about ten minutes of arguing the orderlies had finally given in and one of the two had come back with his dinner… a rare steak. He had already eaten half of it but he had evidently cut it and she decided it was ok. Besides… she loved steak and it was cooked just the way she liked it…  
When she finished and he left the other orderly escorted her to the recreational room.  
Finally, she would get to meet Zai. If things were going to work however, she would have to play, she rolled her eyes in disgust, nice… Besides, she didn't have her pocket knife or anything else fun like that so this was really her only option… at least until she got out of here.  
Zai sat on a couch on the left side of the room. Curiosity smiled politely and walked over.  
Zai was scribbling in a sketchpad and didn't realize Curiosity was standing in front of her. Curiosity sat down, causing Zai to jump nearly a foot.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" she said biting her tongue to keep from laughing at the scene, her sharp teeth causing blood to pool in her mouth, tingeing her mouth with a slightly metallic taste. She liked it…  
Zai smiled embarrassed.  
"It's alright. I didn't hear you coming."  
"Yeah, my mom used to say I needed a bell…"  
Curiosity smirked at the faint memory. Her mother had died in a car accident when she was 6.  
Zai closed her sketchpad and set it in her lap.  
"So, you know my name but I'm afraid I don't know yours."  
Curiosity thought and smiled.  
"You can call me Sadie."  
Zai flipped open her sketchpad once more and started drawing on a new sheet of paper.  
"Can I ask what you're drawing?" Curiosity asked.  
"Sorry, I don't let other people see my drawings."  
Curiosity nodded.  
"Ok, I won't look at it. I was just curious."  
Zai continued to draw and Curiosity starred nervously at the back of the sketchpad. Ironically curiosity was getting the better of her.  
"Hey Zai, I'll tell you what. If you show me your drawing I'll tell you a secret…"  
"Sorry, I don't show people my drawings." Zai repeated.  
"Well could you at least TELL me what you're drawing?"  
Zai thought about this and finally caved.  
"Maybe… it depends on the secret…"  
Curiosity grinned, showing Zai her sharp teeth.  
Zai looked at her oddly but was patient. She scribbled a little more in the sketchpad.  
Curiosity leaned in close.  
"I was the one who blew up Dr. Strange's office…"  
Zai's eyes widened.  
Curiosity grinned even wider.  
"But…but how?"  
"Eh eh eh… quid pro quo."  
Zai sighed. "Fine, it's a picture of you. You have really sharp teeth, I thought I'd try to draw them." She muttered under her breath. "Since Joker's not here to pose…"  
Curiosity didn't seem to hear this and her eyes immediately lit up with excitement.  
"Cool!"  
"So how exactly did you manage to blow up his office?"  
Curiosity grinned, showing her teeth.  
"I'll tell you if you show me the picture…"  
Zai closed the sketchpad.  
"Sorry, no deal."  
Curiosity frowned but then she sighed and muttered under her breath.  
"You showed Joker your drawings…"  
Zai's blood ran cold. How did she know that? Had she been watching them? She thought back. She hadn't remembered seeing the girl but then she thought back to what Sadie had said before.  
"My mom used to say I needed a bell…"  
This was all just in her head… this girl wasn't watching her. She had merely seen Joker posing for her one day… right?  
She quickly changed the subject. This girl was starting to creep her out.  
"So… do they give you the paste they call macaroni of am I just lucky?"  
Curiosity laughed.  
"They tried but I convinced them that I was allergic to the cheese so I got half of one of the orderly's steaks. Might as well, it's not like they're going to look it up." Curiosity suddenly stopped, realizing that she had almost let something slip.  
Zai didn't seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary and Curiosity almost let out a sigh of relief.  
"I wish I'd thought of that! I only get the pasty macaroni…"  
Suddenly Curiosity smiled really wide.  
"There is ONE benefit of having pasty macaroni…"  
Zai eyed her skeptically.  
"Like what? Macaroni paintings?"  
Curiosity laughed. "I guess you could but that's not what I'm thinking about. You could always shove that stuff in the orderly's face and steal his keys… lock HIM in and let ME out…"  
"What about the cameras?"  
"Who cares about the cameras? We'll just jump through the laundry chute before they can get to us…"  
Zai didn't seem to be buying into this.  
"The laundry chute has a lock on it, only laundry staff have access."  
"No wonder I couldn't find it last time…" Curiosity muttered.  
"How'd you get out then?"  
"I'll tell you if you help me escape…"  
Zai considered this. What did she have to lose? Being thrown in solitary would be unpleasant but as long as they didn't take her sketchpad she'd be fine…  
"Deal…" Zai felt as if she were going to regret this later but if she changed her mind later who REALLY was going to stop her?  
"Ok, the cameras in my old hallway were dummies so after I finished with Dr. Strange's office I jumped down a chute. I thought it was the laundry chute but evidently it was the garbage chute. I smelled like old french-fries and cheese for a couple of days but I climbed out no problem. So as long as you don't mind smelling like old french-fries for a couple of days we have a way out."  
Zai eyed Curiosity suspiciously.  
"If you got out last time fine by yourself why do you need me?"  
Zai watched as Sadie's eyes grew venomous and she fell silent.  
"Look, do you want out or not? I thought I'd help you out of here. Joker isn't very happy with you and where do you think he'll come first? If I were you I'd find a rock and crawl under it for awhile because he isn't going to just come by and pose for some more of your little pictures…"  
"How do you know Joker's angry with me?" Zai demanded.  
"A little CAT told me…" she said as she got up to leave with two of the orderlies.  
A shiver ran up Zai's spine. So many questions raced through her mind… Just who was this Sadie Curio? Was Joker really THAT angry with her? Was he really coming to find her? Why did Catwoman tell Sadie about Joker and herself? Her head hurt as she allowed the orderlies to escort her back to her cell. Sadie was already in her cell and she watched Zai carefully, her eyes following her silently as she walked out of view.  
Sadie spoke through the wall when the orderlies left.  
"Tomorrow at dinner. Don't forget…"  
Zai rolled over on her bed, facing the ceiling.  
Tomorrow at dinner… Don't forget…


	22. Memories Better Forgotten

Brucie Boy part 22  
Joker ran through the rain. He had no idea where he was going but he didn't really care. His mind was too preoccupied at the moment. Bruce Wayne was Batman. He stopped in a nearby alleyway and thought.  
When Batman's fist connected with his jaw it had seemed as if all his memories had flooded in at once. Bruce with his mask off, the butler hitting him over the head, seeing the Batcave…  
The rain drenched his tailcoat and dreadlocks but he didn't care. He looked around and realized where he had run to… Ace Chemical factory… or what was left of it anyway. The building looked old and decrepit now, siding and shingled hanging from the roof and sides. The old frame work reminded him somewhat of a rotting animal. The windows starring at him like old hollow eyes, their glass foggy and cracked with age. The sagging walls, a rusted rib cage of old metal and cracked drywall.  
He rose to his feet and wandered numbly into the dilapidated building.  
The stale air smelled faintly of sulfur and rust among a few other unidentifiable things.  
Lightning flashed, illuminating the room, revealing the enormous chemical tanks, rusted and splitting at the seams. Their insides a discolored mesh of metal, dust, and debris. Thunder rolled and it seemed as if time had stood still for a moment, even the pouring rain drifting off into a faint almost inaudible sound.  
Joker looked up at the huge tanks as if the events of that night were replaying themselves before his eyes. Screams and gunshots echoed within the confines of his mind, blocking out even the raging storm behind him. Angry shouts, the sound of metal on metal, and finally crying echoing through his mind as he remembered just what had happened so many years ago. Suddenly he heard a splash and he was shocked back to reality once more. He cringed at the bitter aftertaste of the chemicals that felt so real just moments ago.  
"Haley…"  
Haley Riler, Frank Riler's daughter … He had tried to warn Frank not to come that night but he wouldn't listen. He had asked Frank to take the night off, that he would cover for him and take over his shift. Frank was too stubborn though. He said that he needed the overtime. He said things were already tight as they were and he couldn't afford a babysitter for Haley. He'd told Frank that Haley would be alright by herself but he had refused.  
Overtime… what a joke. What good that overtime did him OR his daughter. Got him shot and killed and Haley had evidently been locked in a basement from what Curiosity had told him. But OH that overtime was SO important!  
Just another example of life's little joke…  
Rain dripped from the cracked ceiling onto his forehead, jarring him from his thoughts.  
He looked around and grinned.  
"Time to set up shop!" he laughed, yelling at no one in particular.  
He looked down at the little jars cradled in the lining of his tailcoat.  
"Time to see if Zai can handle a taste of her own medicine. Or maybe it's mine?" He laughed hysterically as the sound of thunder drowned out everything. Things were about to get fun…


	23. Bird Brain

Brucie Boy part 23 Penguin dashed through an alleyway near the old train station. He approached a building with boarded up windows and an open door. The twins jumped forward to guard the door but backed off when they realized it was Penguin.  
What are you two looking at? Penguin asked shortly.  
The twins turned and leapt up the stairs to an empty room allowing Penguin to take a look at his soaked orange uniform. He was drenched from head to toe. He had swum under the bridge to avoid the GPD. He turned to a room adjacent to the kitchen and changed into another set of clothes. The air was frigid and he was cold even for a Penguin.  
He returned to the living room when he was changed and plopped down on the stained beige sofa facing a small television screen.  
He cursed under his breath. Wayne had a 54 television and he was stuck with this stupid thing. He pressed the power button but the TV remained black. He hammered the button down a few more times and then chucked the remote at the TV, cracking the screen.  
Scratch that, NO TV. He growled as he looked over at the plug next to the wall. The TV had been unplugged He muttered under his breath. If Joker hadn t gassed him and landed them back in Arkham he would have HAD Wayne s TV That crazed Harley Quinn ruined everything! He was going to make him pay for this. Although, he shuttered at the memory, he REALLY didn t want to be gassed again. He thought who was that chick at Arkham? Joker had spent like every day with her? Kathy err Skye? No Zai! Zai was her name!  
He d ruffle her feathers and see how Joker liked THAT!  
Crazy Clown he muttered as he walked to the kitchen.  
He rummaged around in the fridge for a couple minutes until he found a tin of sardines and ripped the top off of it, slurping the fish down before heading to the upstairs bedroom to get some rest. 


	24. Group Therapy

Brucie Boy part 24 Zai awoke the next morning to find an orderly peering in at her. She was evidently new because all of the other orderlies were male.  
Morning! The orderly said smiling and opening the cell door.  
Morning? Zai said a bit confused, Where s Johnson or whatever his name is? The woman looked a little sad at this but then faced Zai again.  
He won t be working here anymore. I ll be serving you your meals from now on. My name s Adrian. She said, handing Zai a plate of eggs.  
Zai ate quickly and smiled at Adrian as she turned to leave.  
When she was sure Adrian had left she frowned. This was going to be a lot harder now. She had hated Johnson but Adrian was new and she had seemed nice. She thought about shoving the bowl of macaroni in Adrian s face.  
Great another thing for me to worry about Zai looked at the wall next to her, thinking about Sadie. Why did she REALLY have to help Sadie escape? She could escape just fine by herself and Sadie seemed a little off. Something REALLY wasn t right about her. Plus she would probably be ten times as dangerous if she was away from the cameras and orderlies. Who knew just WHAT she would do if she got out?  
Zai stood up and paced the length of her cell; waiting for one of the orderlies to escort her to group therapy she made an audible sound of disgust as she remembered how well the last session had gone at least Dr. Strange wouldn t be there. He was still in the hospital recovering. She wondered for a moment who would be in charge if he wasn t there.  
She d made up her mind. She d escape but she wasn t taking Sadie with her. Something wasn t right about her One of the other Johnsons came to unlock her cell. She stood up and reluctantly made her way toward group therapy. When she got there however she found therapy was about to get pretty interesting Sadie was sitting in a seat across from where she was supposed to sit.  
Sadie smiled slightly as if nothing had happened. Zai looked at her oddly but returned the smile.  
Soon after Dr. Crane entered the room and began speaking to the group.  
Alright everyone because of Dr. Strange s condition I m afraid I ll be standing in for him for the time being.  
Sadie raised an eyebrow.  
Condition? Sadie asked innocently.  
Yes, condition. He s currently being treated at Gotham General for some burns due to his office exploding. He said disdainfully.  
Sadie s smile dropped but Dr. Crane didn t seem to notice.  
Ok, for our first discussion how about we start off with he looked down at his clipboard, Zai. Zai, how do you feel about the other patients in this room? What about them? Zai asked dismissively.  
Dr. Crane looked slightly annoyed now as if he felt he was doing something that was WAY beneath him.  
Just answer the question. Have you befriended any of the other patients? I see by your chart that you re pretty antisocial. Without thinking Zai replied. Nope. Dr. Crane rolled his eyes and moved onto Sadie.  
What about you miss? Curio. She said a little irritated. She looked at Zai. And no, I guess not. Dr. Crane had had enough by now.  
Ok fine! If you two aren t going to answer my questions you can just go back to your cells! They looked at each other.  
Fine with us. They said in unison. 


	25. According To Plan

Brucie Boy part 25 It was almost lunch time now and Adrian moved to take back a bowl of salad to Sadie Curio s cell. She looked in at her and smiled warmly at the seemingly shy girl sitting on the bed.  
Hi, I brought you some salad. Curiosity smiled innocently. Thanks When Adrian handed Curiosity the salad Curiosity merely poked at the croutons and moved some of the leaves around with the fork she had been given.  
What s wrong? Adrian asked gently.  
Curiosity looked quickly at the wall and then back to her salad. She stopped poking at the croutons and looked up at Adrian.  
The girl in the next cell wants me to escape with her tonight I don t want to but she has a shank in her cell and I m afraid she ll try something during recreational time if I don t Adrian s eyes grew wide.  
Don t worry, if she tries anything tonight I ll send her to solitary and have her cell searched. She won t hurt you. Thanks I m not very hungry right now. Do you mind She looked down and trailed off.  
Adrian smiled and took the bowl of salad from Sadie. Sadie used her fork to slide the keys off of Adrian s belt as she leaned in close.  
No problem. She said as she walked out and locked the cell door.  
Curiosity grinned wide when she heard Adrian s footsteps down the hall. She jingled the key s she had stolen from the woman in her palm.  
Sucker Curiosity waited on her bed now. Now she only had to do one more thing. She looked at the fork in her hand and grinned even wider, showing her sharp teeth. She just had to wait a little longer .  
Adrian was in a panic now. Her keys were gone! But how? Then she remembered, she had leaned over to take Sadie s salad.  
Ok, don t panic she probably hasn t escaped yet. She s probably just scared or not Adrian slowed and took in her surroundings as she approached the cell. It was unlocked She stepped inside and surveyed the cell.  
Curiosity watched as the woman walked past her towards the back of the cell. She got ready and when the woman s back was to her, she thrust the fork into the back of her leg.  
Adrian screamed and grabbed her leg in pain, dropping to the floor.  
Curiosity quickly removed Adrian s coat and dressed her in her inmate uniform. She walked with her back straight and to the camera as she made a show of locking the cell on her way out and moving onto the next cell.  
Zai turned on her bed to face the font of the cell. She looked dumbfounded at the orderly in front of her cell. The nametag said Adrian but a pair of dark green eyes starred back at her, a sharp toothed grin just below, almost hidden by shadow. Zai plastered her back against the wall as Sadie unlocked her cell.  
You know I was thinking about what you said today. Something about how you HAD no friends in here? And yesterday you said something like If you escaped just fine by yourself then why do you need me? she said mockingly, Well that made me think and you know what? It turns out I don t need you and I have a feeling you thought you didn t need me either Zai s eyes grew wide as Sadie withdrew a syringe from her pocket. Zai made a run for the exit but Curiosity was too quick and stuck the needle in the back of Zai s arm. Zai s eyes gleamed in panic now as the floor came rushing up to her all at once. She stumbled and tried to keep her balance on the door of the cell but soon her knees gave out on her and everything was black.  
Curiosity dragged Zai out into the hall as sirens sounded.  
Adrian sucked in a deep breath as she hobbled over to the bed and withdrew the emergency call button from her jeans pocket. She gasped as she removed it and held onto the button as if her life depended on it. Suddenly seven orderlies surrounded the area. Sadie stood her ground however.  
I got her. She said to the orderlies, gesturing to Zai with her head.  
The other orderlies nodded and turned to leave.  
Curiosity smiled down at Zai. Everything was going according to plan 


	26. Escape

Brucie Boy part 26 Curiosity walked down the hall with Zai on a gurney. She had finally found one after walking halfway down to the garbage chute. Zai was still sleeping, breathing in and out in a steady rhythm along with Curiosity s shoes slapping the dingy white tile.  
Today was garbage day so, although they would probably smell worse than old French fires and cheese, it would be easier to drag Zai out of the dumpster.  
Curiosity unfastened Zai s restraints and strained to lift her into the chute. Zai was heavy but she fit alright and Curiosity quickly shoved her down the chute. She wouldn t have much time before she looked down at the nametag on her jacket Adrian was found and they were caught.  
When Zai had slid down the chute Curiosity jumped in after her and landed roughly on Zai s stomach, jolting her awake.  
Zai was still groggy but she was aware of a strong odor and her stomach aching dully. She struggled to get to her feet, holding her head as the seemingly bright light stung her eyes.  
She leaned against the side of the dumpster as she waited for her head to stop spinning.  
Abruptly, before she could react, something shoved her forward out of the dumpster.  
Curiosity climbed out of the dumpster as Zai landed on the ground.  
Zai rose to her feet, holding her head and swaying drunkenly. Finally she realized she was outside out of Arkham. In a rush of both pain and fear Zai realized just WHY she was out of Arkham and she slowly turned to face Curiosity who was grinning widely, her sharp teeth making her look more like Dracula than a girl just slightly older than her.  
Finally awake? Sadie asked.  
Zai ignored her and attempted to make a run for it but her actions were still slow and her legs felt like jelly. Sadie grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back. Zai squealed in agony and frustration as Curiosity pulled her in closer.  
Curiosity glanced down the road behind Zai and grinned as the rocks beneath their feet jumped slightly. Curiosity yanked Zai to the side of the building out of sight.  
Soon after a garbage truck stopped near the building.  
Curiosity turned to Zai.  
Stay put. She warned, her eyes tinted with malice.  
Zai obeyed reluctantly, cradling her injured wrist in her hand, touching the red outline of Sadie s grip gently.  
Curiosity gave Zai one last fleeting glance before she walked casually up to the driver s side door of the garbage truck. The driver looked shocked to see her but then looked down at her ID and coat and smiled out the window.  
Hi there, what can I do for you Miss Adrian? Curiosity put on a worried expression and pretended to be near tears.  
I lost my wedding ring! I I looked for it everywhere! I had to deal with a patient and I can t wear any Jewelry when I m with them so I set it down on my lunch tray and and she worked herself up and pretended to sob with her head in her hands, leaning up against the side of the truck and sliding down to a crouch.  
The man got out of the truck and put his hand on her back.  
Don t worry I ll find it! It has to be here somewhere right? Curiosity pretended to wipe her eyes and looked up at him with bright red circles around her eyes from her fists.  
Thank you SO much! she said getting to her feet and hugging him, sliding his wallet and another object out of his pocket.  
Perfect He turned back to the dumpster and started to search the bin. Curiosity smiled now and snapped the blade out of the pocket knife she had taken from the man. She slid the wallet into the coat pocket.  
I m sorry Miss. I don t seem to see it he said turning around to face her grinning.  
Curiosity shoved the pocket knife into his chest and slowly withdrew it as she heartlessly watched the man fall to the ground gasping before becoming still.  
Sucker Zai s eyes widened as she saw this. She had to get out of here! Whatever this girl wanted from her it wasn t good! She wobbled unsteadily toward the woods near the side of the building.  
Curiosity looked over toward the side of the building. Zai was gone Great she looked at the dead man next to her, I ll be back in a second. Zai ran now, her legs starting to feel less wobbly.  
The sirens sounded surprising her and causing her to swing her head back in the direction of the building. Sadie had caught sight of her now and was chasing her through the woods, a bloody switch blade in her hand. Zai s eyes widened as she saw this.  
Curiosity was gaining on Zai but Zai was quick. She dodged a few trees and held out her knife to draw Zai s attention.  
Zai watched over her shoulder as Sadie stretched the knife toward her as if she were going to stab her the moment she caught up with her. Unfortunately Zai hadn t noticed the tree branch in front of her and the large limb sent her to the ground as it knocked the wind out of her.  
Sadie smiled as she stood over her.  
I guess I didn t make this clear enough for you. I said, STAY PUT! Curiosity said angrily.  
Zai struggled to get back to her feet but Curiosity slid another needle into her arm and watched as Zai s eyes closed.  
Great now I have to carry you she grumbled to the unconscious Zai.  
Curiosity yanked Zai up onto her back and attempted to climb the hill to the garbage truck. Her feet slid in the mud a few times but she was finally able to hoist Zai into the floorboard of the garbage truck and lock the door.  
She turned back to the dead man on the ground next to her and removed the keys from his jacket pocket.  
Thanks for the lift buddy! She laughed as she climbed into the driver s seat and removed the access key from the man s wallet, Thanks a lot 


	27. Betrayal

Brucie Boy part 27

Curiosity slid off the white coat spattered with blood and pulled up to the gate. The guard smiled at her and she returned it sweetly. She slid the access card into the slot and waited for the computer to read it. After a couple of seconds the machine beeped and the guard motioned for her to pull forward. She waved and pulled out onto the highway leading out of Arkham.

"Suckers…" she muttered under her breath as she drove down an alleyway leading down town just as a swarm of police cars raced to Arkham Island.

Zai groaned softly from the floorboard. Curiosity smiled a little but not evilly. Even though Zai had effectively sent Catwoman to steal from Joker and landed her back in Arkham, Zai was still the closest thing she really had to a friend. Even if Zai did hate her guts…

She sighed and pulled over next to an old abandoned building. She looked at it carefully, deciding whether or not to go through with this. She hadn't set foot in this building in over ten years. She was used to being on her own but sometimes things got a little… she looked down at the sleeping Zai… complicated…

After a minute of starring at Zai she realized Zai's uniform had a square indentation in it… like…her sketchbook perhaps?

Why would she go through so much trouble just to hold onto a stupid sketchbook? Curiosity paused a moment but then removed the item carefully from the front of Zai's uniform and flipped to the first page. Zai groaned and clutched at her chest but finally allowed her hand to rest near her side.

Curiosity grinned as she found the page she was looking for. Zai had drawn a picture of her, her sharp teeth meshed together in disarray making her look somewhat snaggletooth. Her eyes were set back just slightly creating dark circles under her eyes. Her uniform blazed number 138.

Curiosity looked at Zai bemused.

"Now how in the world…" She was cut off as something in the window of the old building caught her eye. She tucked the sketchbook into the inside pocket of the blood spattered jacket and threw it on to go investigate. It was still really cold out.

"Stay here." She commanded to the unconscious Zai.

Curiosity hopped out of the truck and walked casually up to the side of the building, avoiding the windows. Slowly she turned her head to peek into the building. Nothing was there…

Suddenly her feet were swept out from under her and something braced her back and gagged her mouth. This wasn't happening! She hadn't heard anyone coming! Suddenly the grip on her mouth loosened and slid down to her collar bone so that she could get a good look at her attacker.

"You know… Curiosity killed the cat." Joker said slyly as he moved his hand to her neck.

"Frank did always tell me you were a handful."

Curiosity looked at Joker questioningly but before she could utter a word Joker shoved a rag in her face. She fought him and tried to bite him through the rag but at last her muscles relaxed and she fell back into Joker's arms.

Zai gripped the passenger's seat tightly, she felt as if she might puke but she dragged herself into an upright position and starred blearily out the windshield, thankful that the sun had set and she didn't have to deal with the exploding pain her migraine had given her earlier.

Suddenly she snapped awake as she watched the scene in front of her unfold. Joker had grabbed Sadie from behind and was now holding her like a ragdoll.

"Oh god… what did I get into…"

She checked the doors. All of them were locked. Well at least Joker couldn't get to her here she thought.

She relaxed a little as she thought this but this feeling was short lived. For the first time she realized her sketchbook wasn't in her uniform.

Joker looked at Curiosity for a moment. She was extremely pale in the moonlight, not a clown white like he was but still a bit ghoulish. He looked down at her jacket, which was spattered with blood. She wasn't cut however.

"I see I'm not the only one who's been having fun around here."

He looked down at the jacket again. The corner of something was sticking out of the side. He removed it from her jacket and smiled happily as he held it up into the moonlight. It read…

"Zai, KEEP OUT!" in bold letters.

Zai looked out the windshield once more in a panic. She couldn't find her sketchbook anywhere! Then she saw it and her blood ran cold. Joker was holding it up in the moonlight, smiling.

Zai let out an angry shout.

"JOKER!"

Joker looked up at the garbage truck to see Zai fuming in the driver's seat, trying to pry the door open.

He grinned.

"Two for the price of one!"

Zai watched as Joker slid the sketchbook into his tailcoat and walked towards her.

"Oh shit…"

Zai looked around for something to defend herself incase Joker actually DID find a way in. Unfortunately she only found a stick of gum and a pair of men's sunglasses… Zai smashed the glasses on the dash but all this did was pop the lenses out.

Joker looked at Zai as if she were joking and squirted his flower at the passenger's side door.

Zai let out a gasp and quickly grasped at the nearest object, which happened to be the visor… She ripped it out of the ceiling and as Joker opened the door she beat him on the head with it until he moved back from the doorway.

Joker rubbed his head in pain. Then he had an idea.

"Geesh Zai! I try and help you get your sketchbook back and I get smacked with a visor!"

Zai stopped and looked over at Sadie.

"Ok so where's my sketchbook?" Zai said impatiently.

Joker patted his jacket.

"Right here… although since you were so rude I think I'll just keep it!"

"Give it here Joker!" Zai said in a threatening tone.

"Maybe I will maybe I won't. What's in it for me?" He said his voice lowering as he questioned her.

Zai thought about it. Was one drawing worth her entire sketchbook?

"I'll let you see one of the pictures I drew of you…" Zai said, dreading every syllable as the sentence spilled out of her mouth.

"Now if I wanted to see those why wouldn't I just keep the sketchbook?" Joker asked, enjoying the dumbfounded expression on Zai's face.

Zai's face went from shock to anger in a matter of seconds.

"What do you want from me Joker? You have your STUPID drawings! You're OUT of Arkham! I have NOTHING ELSE to give you!" She said fiercely.

He looked at Zai.

"Well I wouldn't say you have nothing else…" he muttered.

Zai's eyes blazed with anger.

"You know what! KEEP the freaking sketchbook! I don't care ANYMORE! I'm DONE with you Joker!"

"Not what I meant Zai. Get your mind out of the gutter…"

Zai turned to Joker, her eyes still smoldering with anger but tears streamed down her face.

"What then Joker? What! I can't believe I actually considered you my friend once…"

Zai turned to leave but Joker grabbed her arm and turned her around slowly.

"You could be my apprentice…"

Zai wiped her eyes and looked down.

"Fine… I don't care anymore… just… give me back my sketchbook…"

Joker handed her the sketchbook.

"If it's any consolation… I didn't look in it…" he said softly.

He hadn't wanted to make Zai cry. He only wanted to have some fun… and maybe see his drawings…

That was probably out of the question now though. He sighed, at least Zai was his apprentice now however and he'd make SURE she stayed that way…

Joker walked over to Curiosity and carried her into the building with Zai on foot beside him.


	28. Vertigo?

Brucie Boy part 28

Batman had searched half of Gotham and still no sign of either Joker or Penguin. There was still one place he could check for Joker. A place he'd seen in Joker's mind when looking for Detective Yin. Abruptly the batwave sprang to life, jarring him from his thoughts. Great… Sadie Curio and Zai had escaped three hours ago. One orderly was injured. They had somehow been able to avoid security and leave without anyone recognizing them…

"Interesting… nice to know Arkham pays such close attention to its patients…" he muttered.

Curiosity awoke to a strong odor. She felt as if she were going to puke but she kept it in. She was overcome by a sense of vertigo when she finally opened her eyes. But then after a few seconds she realized that it wasn't vertigo… She was hanging upside down from some sort of crane. She attempted to swing her body up towards her feet but realized she was bound in a rather colorful straightjacket.

She glared down at Joker which looked more like a smile from his vantage point.

He smiled at her.

"You know Haley… You saved me a lot of work today. I didn't even have to break you out of Arkham or do anything at all! Great job! You even brought Zai along with you for the party!"

Curiosity raised an eyebrow. She looked below her and her eyes widened.

Joker had repaired one of the vats of chemicals and had filled it with what looked like a glowing green mixture.

"I was a little short on chemicals so I substituted a little BUT that shouldn't matter now should it?" He laughed hysterically now.

Curiosity couldn't believe her eyes! Whatever chemical concoction Joker had cooked up it wasn't going to be good for her.

She attempted to swing her body up once more and Joker laughed at her. Zai stood next to him, clutching her sketchbook to her chest with a panicked expression on her face. Curiosity looked up at the crane holding her up and followed it back to the control room on her right.

Joker smiled sadistically at her. She thought back.

"Never expected to be on the receiving end of this…" she muttered to herself.

Joker must have overheard this because he laughed hysterically.

"And I assume you've been on this end before? I'd like to see that!" He laughed.

Curiosity was furious now.

"Actually I have and if you cut me down I'll let you see it FIRST hand!"

"Been there done that…" Joker said waving his hand dismissively.

Curiosity decided to try and get some answers as to WHY she was hanging over a vat of boiling chemicals. She had to do it in a way that wouldn't provoke him and make him lower her further however. So… maybe a joke?

"Why am I up here anyway? Didn't your mother ever tell you that you're not supposed to kill your girlfriend until AFTER the first date?"

Joker laughed uncontrollably now, wiping tears from his eyes.

"You could be famous with that type of material you know and you know what they say..." His smile turned sadistic, "You will never be more famous, than when you're dead!"

Curiosity began to get a little nervous. She was really good at talking her way out of situations but she was beginning to realize that Joker wasn't going to be easily swayed and the fumes and gravitational pull were beginning to make her feel a bit light-headed.

"Seriously why am I up here anyway? Besides for your own amusement…"

"I'm afraid as cliché as this may sound… you just know too much my dear."

"Like what? I couldn't even remember my own name for Pete's sake!"

Curiosity closed her eyes for a moment. All the blood in her body felt as if it were rushing to her head, which didn't help her nausea any, especially considering the bubbling goo beneath her smelled of rotten eggs and sulfur.

"You remembered enough to get yourself admitted into Arkham." He stated matter-of-factly shrugging his shoulders.

Zai looked up at this. What did Sadie, or had he caller her Haley? Know that he was willing to kill her for it? Furthermore why would Sadie willingly admit herself into Arkham?

"That doesn't mean I remember anything important…"

"Oh, you remember alright… You remembered that I used to work here and that I was friends with your father. My name's just a short leap from there…"

Curiosity had both literally and figuratively tied her hands behind her back… or at least Joker had done part of that for her…

Curiosity attempted to worm her way out of the straightjacket but it was no use.

Joker laughed at this.

"Trust me my dear. I KNOW how to escape from those things and I made that one myself. You're not escaping anytime soon."

"Zai! Time for you to earn that sketchbook. Go man the controls!"

Curiosity looked at Zai with pleading eyes but Zai grudgingly climbed the latter to the control room.

When Zai got there she looked at the lever on the dashboard and then over to Sadie once more. Sadie may have been a little psychotic but she still didn't think that she could pull the lever on her and plunge her into that vat of chemicals which Joker said would kill her.

Zai stopped. She had her sketchbook. She really didn't need to do anything. Joker could find his own henchmen. But how was she going to save Sadie?

Joker looked over at Zai impatiently.

"Hello! Wake up! There's only one lever on the dash Zai!"

Zai didn't move or answer.

Joker muttered under his breath and walked over to the control room.

"It's easy Zai. Just pull the lever… unless you'd like your own chemical bath…" Joker stated darkly.

Zai's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't do that. Otherwise you would have tied me up with her."

"That can still be arranged…" he stated menacingly.

Zai looked back over at Sadie who was again trying to wiggle out of the straightjacket and then down at the lever. Joker starred at her as her hand hovered over the lever. Suddenly something caught her eye. Could it be? No… She glanced up again out of the corner of her eye. Batman?

Joker was beginning to grow impatient and he shot Zai a dirty glare that seemed to say hurry up or else. Zai placed her entire hand on the lever now and pulled back on it gently.

Joker's eyes lit up with delight. All Zai could do was hope that Batman could get to her before she reached the chemicals…

Curiosity started to panic as her head dropped closer and closer to the bubbling chemicals. She attempted to swing herself up again but it was no use, she couldn't get her head far enough up to wrap herself around the cord. She looked back at the control room window and saw Zai pulling on the lever to lower her into the chemicals.

The foul odor of the chemicals was getting stronger now and her head seemed only inches from the toxic goo.

She shot Zai a pleading look but she still continued to drop. She could feel the heat on her face now, her golden brown hair mere inches from the chemicals. Suddenly a new smell joined the plethora of odors and she thought she was going to be sick. Her hair was sizzling in the chemicals now.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" She screamed as acid touched her scalp.

She closed her eyes and suddenly she stopped. She opened her eyes and attempted to lift herself up away from the chemicals as much as she possibly could; her hair still waded in the chemicals however she'd managed to pull her scalp away.

Zai looked on in relief as Batman threw a batarang into the dash, blocking the lever from falling any further.

Joker looked through the broken glass, glaring at Batman. Batman glared back at him dashed off to the crane holding Curiosity.

Batman thought… there HAD to be some sort of manual override on the crane. As he dashed across the room he realized the room was filled with what looked like oil drums of a green liquid. Joker was planning something but he couldn't waste time thinking about what it might be.

Joker shoved Zai out from in front of the controls and yanked the batarang free from the controls and attempted to move the lever downward.

Curiosity looked in at Joker doing this and shivered in panic. She felt the chains above her jerk and closed her eyes tightly.

Her entire scalp was submerged now. Suddenly the chains stopped and she was lifted up slowly. She cried in relief as Batman shifted the crane and moved her away from the chemicals and dropped her to the floor.

She quickly kicked at the restraints around her legs and shakily rose to her feet. Joker had made his way over to Batman by this time and the two were thrusting sharp kicks and punches at one another.

Zai began to panic now. If Batman brought her back to Arkham she would never get out. He had watched her pull the lever to lower Sadie into the chemicals. She looked down at Sadie, who had wiggled out of the restraints around her feet and was now standing up.

Zai had to get out of there. Sadie was fine. Joker and Batman could deal with one another. If she wanted to stay out of Arkham she had to leave NOW. While she still could… It didn't feel right but what other choice did she have? She fought with herself for a moment but then rushed out the back door.

No matter how this turned out… she was in trouble…


	29. Smile!

Brucie Boy part 29 Batman thrust a kick into Joker s stomach as Joker threw four razor sharp cards in his direction, avoiding them within a few inches.  
Joker staggered back a few steps but took out another card, glancing at Curiosity rising to her feet.  
He turned back to Batman and smirked as he threw the card at Curiosity. Bruce s eyes widened and he quickly blocked the card with his arm, receiving a sharp kick in the process. He flew back against the side of the crane and was knocked unconscious.  
Joker looked over at the unconscious batman and chuckled slightly.  
Be right back Brucie boy He then turned his attention to Curiosity and grinned. Curiosity stared back in horror. She turned to run toward the door but was cut off. She glared at Joker, her scalp burned like fire but she tried her best to stay focused on her current predicament.  
Joker laughed as he approached her.  
Looks like my chemicals did do SOMETHING... he said gesturing towards her head.  
Curiosity s eyes widened.  
I think you could use a little off the top however. He said taking out another card.  
Curiosity attempted to tear the straightjacket off her head but it was useless She muttered under her breath Joker should make his own brand of straightjackets kind of ironic since he can t seem to stay in one She backed up slowly, eyeing Joker carefully but he continued to advance on her. She scanned the room for a way out but as far as she could tell the only other exit was a broken window on the other end of the room which she was heading AWAY from.  
Her back hit the wall behind her and she noticed the latter next to her. She considered climbing it but her arms were bound and she wouldn t be able to climb more than a few steps.  
Joker held the card close to her face now and Curiosity grinned broadly showing her teeth.  
You better get used to that smile; you ll have it for the rest of your life. He laughed and after that. Curiosity continued to grin and sent a fierce kick up between his legs. This seemed to take the smile off even the Clown Prince of Crime s face as he fell on his side, his eyes watering.  
Bruce got to his feet and glanced across the room to see Joker cornering Curiosity. He attempted to run in their direction however within taking his first step he heard a squeal and it wasn t from Curiosity. He winced, maybe Joker was the one that needed saving.  
Curiosity darted over towards the door and Batman followed.  
Curiosity turned and looked at him and then at his arm.  
Thanks for the save but I m not going back to Arkham she said kicking one of the barrels filled with green liquid in front of her, spilling its contents.  
Batman s eyes widened but he managed to avoid it and grab a hold of her shoulder.  
Curiosity gave him a look as if to say Are you serious? Thought you d learn from the last time She said biting his wrist, only to get a shock.  
I did he said smugly.  
She frowned and he carried her back to the batmobile. She struggled to get free but eventually gave up. Where was she really going to go anyway? Back to Joker?  
She bit her lip slightly, drawing blood. Joker was going to be pissed Probably not the BEST idea to kick him like that but it was better than having her face carved like a jack-o-lantern.  
Batman locked Curiosity in the batmobile and went back inside for Joker. However when he got there Joker and Zai were nowhere to be seen.  
He frowned but made his way back to the batmobile.  
Curiosity sighed; grateful Joker wasn t being put in the car with her. She stared at her reflection in the rearview mirror. She couldn t take her eyes away from the face staring back at her. Now she understood why Joker had made a joke about taking a little off the top She looked like a female version of him! At least her skin wasn t bleached white and she didn t have the ghoulish smile to match she thought, trying to calm herself down.  
No more blending in for her She d have to invest in some hair dye soon 


	30. Sorry

Brucie Boy part 30

Curiosity was silent nearly the entire drive to Arkham. She was thinking about just how close she'd come to becoming a permanent clown like Joker or even dying in that nauseating broth of chemicals. She breathed slowly in an out; she could still almost taste the smell of rotten eggs…

She looked over at Batman in the driver's seat. She still couldn't forgive him for leaving her and her father but she didn't hate him as much anymore. She turned back to face forward as they approached Arkham.

Batman came around the side of the car and opened her door. Not pushing her forward but standing close behind so that he could grab her if she decided to make a break for it. Three of the orderlies that had greeted them the last time she'd been brought here stood at the entrance to the asylum. They no longer gave him a confused look however and merely stared at her almost angrily, making her more than a little uncomfortable.

"Sorry about your arm…" she said to Batman as she left to go with the orderlies.

Batman stopped and watched her enter Arkham.

The entire time he'd been Batman he'd never heard anyone apologize to him after he brought them to Arkham.

She'd definitely been through an ordeal tonight. He almost felt bad for her… he thought back to the orderly and truck driver that had been stabbed and the incident with Catwoman… almost.

The orderlies led her down the hall but didn't stop when they came to cell 320. Curiosity raised an eyebrow at the orderlies but said nothing. Soon they came upon cell 138 and they still hadn't stopped. Curiosity was confused now. She wasn't going back to the recreational room… that was on the other side of the building… The only thing over here was… she stopped and frowned, receiving a rough push from behind by one of the orderlies. She glared at him but kept walking slowly.

They were taking her to solitary confinement… She shuttered. She didn't mind solitary confinement itself, she actually preferred the quiet time. However she'd heard about patients being sedated in there because they refused to answer Dr. Strange's questions. She absolutely HATED needles… You would think being locked in a mental institution would leave her with more important things to think about than shots but she couldn't take her mind off of them. She wasn't completely sure WHY she was afraid of them but she knew she couldn't stand to be in a room with them. She could give them to other people and things weren't as bad. She was just weird she supposed. She thought about it… shots did remind her slightly of lethal injections… maybe that was why…

Before she knew it she was heading up the stairs to a room labeled Solitary. It looked as if another patient had scratched off the word confinement. She rolled her eyes.

"You got it buddy…" she muttered.

One of the orderlies gave her a dirty look but moved forward to unlock the door and hold it open, leaving one orderly behind her and one trained in front of her. This gave her an idea… It was a good thing Arkham had so many male orderlies…

She pretended to take a step forward and then quickly kicked her leg up behind her, sending the orderly to his knees. She then brought her bound elbow down onto the base of his skull and turned quickly, dodging a blow from the orderly in front of her. He skidded but changed directions and ran at her again, needle in hand. She stood there for a moment and then quickly leapt to the side, causing the shocked orderly to crash into the other orderly who had finally unlocked the door. The orderly behind her was attempting to get up as the two collided and she promptly sent a kick to his chin. The two orderlies on the floor attempted to disentangle themselves from one another but the smaller of the two orderlies soon collapsed again, the syringe still sticking out of his forearm. The keys in his hand skidded across the slick linoleum floor, landing near her feet.

She smiled and kicked the door shut, using her toes to slide the key in the lock and twist it. She was going to have to work on using her toes more often. She then used her teeth to remove the key from the lock


	31. You're One Dead Duck

Brucie Boy part 31 Zai dashed down a nearby alleyway, avoiding running past the window of the chemical factory, fearing Joker or anyone inside for that matter would see her. Icy rain poured down on her shoulders, her hair plastered to her face. The wind howled fiercely as she turned the corner, hugging herself tightly in the frigid night air, her sketchbook tucked away under the folds of her uniform. She looked on in horror as she saw that the place she had once called home. It had been ransacked everything was gone She picked up a slightly torn drawing of Joker out of a murky puddle in front of her.  
Tears streamed down her already wet cheeks as she looked at the faded picture in her hand and stepped inside. Feathers scattered the floor as she entered, a gust of strong wind stirring them from their resting spot. She stared at one of her favorite drawings of Joker clipped to a chair in the center of the room. She slowly reached out to retrieve it. Something had been written on the back of the drawing four words You re a dead duck Zai crushed the note and threw it to the floor. She turned her back on her house, not bothering to look back.  
She closed the door, the light faded into a thin line and stopped on Joker s crumpled face as she left. Penguin was dead Zai walked through the rain, not knowing, or really caring where she ended up. She felt numb, not even the fierce downpour or wind seemed to faze her. She walked over to what looked like an abandoned party favor factory and stepped inside, dropping into an old moth eaten armchair, not caring how it got there.  
Everything was dark, only the occasional flash of lightning penetrated the heavy gloom hanging over the city. She rolled over on her side, her palm pressed into her cheek as she thought about tonight s events. The air in the factory was stale but not unbearable. It almost seemed cozy She lazily let her eyes wander about the room in wonder at the place. A small TV sat in front of her on a little stand. She then looked around her. Lots of prop like items lined the floor and what little surface space remained in the room. What looked like toy guns lay on a table near the back of the room, little green flags sprouting out of the barrels. Someone definitely lived here. But who would want all this she stopped short.  
A painting sat on an easel near the table. It was a portrait of a girl with dark brown hair, her eyes green and purple. A dress like outfit around her with spiraling shapes on the shoulders and on a few other places along the dress. The sleeves had been ripped off in a jagged manner and long black fingerless gloves ran down her arms.  
It was her This could only mean one thing Suddenly a cool breeze wafted in through the doorway as a figure stepped inside.  
Joker stopped and starred at Zai sitting in his armchair and grinned. Well hello deary! What a nice surprise! I thought you d skipped town or something. He said his voice rising from a happy squeal to a menacing tone.  
No, I went home and Penguin ransacked the place and destroyed my drawings of you. I guess you ll never get to see them now She said baiting him, trying her best to shift his anger to Penguin.  
Joker starred at her blankly for a moment until it finally sunk in that his drawings had been destroyed. His expression turned to anger.  
He muttered curses under his breath, his red eyes darkening, something Zai had never seen before. This scared her a little.  
Pengi s one dead duck He muttered, laughing at his pun slightly.  
Zai almost felt sorry for Penguin at hearing this almost.  
Joker turned his attention to Zai now, his eyes gleaming with excitement now.  
Zai you deal with Haley, I ll deal with bird brain. Zai gave him a confused look but then realized he was referring to Sadie whose name was evidently Haley.  
How am I supposed to do that? she asked hoping he wasn t going to say what she knew was coming.  
Go pay her a visit at Arkham. He grinned wide showing off his yellowed teeth, I m sure she ll be thrilled to see you. Zai frowned. And how exactly am I supposed to get OUT of Arkham once I ve found her? Joker shrugged his shoulders.  
Something tells me she s not going to want to stay their long and the she blew a hole in Doc s office! I m sure you ll find a way out. Besides he laughed. If all else fails you could always hit the emergency release button and high tail it out of there! Great... She thought. Last time Sadie er Haley had escaped she d drugged her, thrown her down the trash chute, and killed a security guard What a lovely way to spend the day her drawings were destroyed, Joker was going to go hunt down Penguin, she was going down to get herself locked back in Arkham on PURPOSE, AND she had to face a possibly furious Sadie er Haley. JUST wonderful She turned her attention back to Joker who was studying her thoughtfully; this made her feel a bit uneasy.  
What? she asked uncomfortably. Just thinking about something he laughed, turning back to look at the portrait he had painted of her.  
Zai didn t like the way he had looked at her. She turned and left, maybe Arkham WAS the best place for her right now She dragged her feet as she approached the gates on Arkham Island. She REALLY hated this place She sighed and walked up to one of the guards at the gate.  
Uh hi I m here to she bit her lip as she dragged the words out, turn myself in The guard looked at her curiously but handcuffed her and waved for the other guard to escort her to the gate.  
She kept her eyes down as she passed the gate and walked up the hill with the guards. This was humiliating 


	32. See You Soon

Brucie Boy part 32 Curiosity and Zai swung around the edge of the building, looking around the corner to make sure they weren t followed. Curiosity didn t see anyone but looked down as Zai pulled her hand away quickly.  
Hey! Where do you think you re going? Curiosity cursed under her breath and started to round the corner to chase after Zai when suddenly a sharp pain erupted in the middle of her face and things went black for a moment.  
She quickly lifted her head and glared up at the woman standing in front of her.  
What the hell! Curiosity shouted fiercely at the woman who only returned her shouting with a wry smile.  
Curiosity brought her hand up to her face and pulled it back to look at it. Her fingers were covered in blood. She glared hard at the orderly standing above her.  
You re going to pay for this she glanced up at the nametag on the orderly s seemingly new jacket.  
Adrian! Wait oh crap Curiosity looked at the orderly again. I don t suppose you re still mad about the whole stealing your keys and stabbing you thing are you? Adrian smirked down at her and reached out a hand to help her up. Curiosity grinned and bit her on the arm. Adrian looked shocked at first but then sent a sharp kick into Curiosity s ribs. Both gasped as Curiosity let go of Adrian s arm and slammed her head into what was left of the brick wall.  
Curiosity glared up at Adrian once more and thrust a kick at her legs. Adrian dodged it and sent another kick into Curiosity s chest as voices came from inside the building.  
Curiosity s head lolled to the side as she felt unconsciousness creep in.  
Dr. Crane pulled back the tarp and stared at Adrian and then down at Curiosity. Nice job Adrian. He said, giving her a semi-shocked look and then looking down at Curiosity once more.  
He looked over at Adrian, finally noticing the red stains on her sleeve. His eyes widened a little.  
You should get that checked out with medical. What are you even doing here? You aren t due back to work until next week! He said a concerned look on his face.  
Adrian looked down at her arm.  
Yeah, I suppose. That girl has some sharp teeth She said looking at Dr. Crane, ignoring his first statement.  
Adrian s sleeve was starting to turn a deep crimson now and she turned away from Dr. Crane.  
Fine, I ll leave but I better get credit for this! Dr. Crane smiled. Don t worry. You will. Now go take care of that arm! Adrian stole one last glance at Curiosity and then pulled back the tarp and headed for the medical wing on the east end of the building.  
When Adrian left, Dr. Crane smiled and looked down at Curiosity.  
Time to have some fun he whispered as he dug a syringe out of his coat pocket and squirted a little out of the end before sticking it in Curiosity s arm.  
Curiosity groaned a little and shifted her head but didn t stir.  
Slowly her skin started to grow pale. Dr. Crane checked her pupils. They were dilated now. He checked her pulse. It was barely noticeable, even the best trained officials would pronounce her dead.  
The medical team finally arrived at the scene and checked her vitals. One man shook his head and the two lifted her onto a stretcher into a body bag to be shipped to the hospital morgue.  
With the toxin running through her veins her heart rate would be slowed for nearly twenty four hours. The autopsy wouldn t start for forty eight hours and he still needed to file the paperwork. He looked down at the girl as the two men zipped the body bag up past her face.  
One of the medical officials came over to him.  
Dr. Crane is it? We need to know everything that occurred tonight. We ll need you to fill this out within the next forty eight hours. The man handed him a small stack of paperwork.  
I wasn t actually at the scene. Should I give this to the woman who was? Yes, that would be great. The man said as he turned to help the other man load Curiosity into the back of the ambulance.  
When the two finally left. Dr. Crane smiled and tucked the paperwork inside his jacket.  
Good-bye patient #320 See you soon 


	33. What Are You Afraid Of?

Brucie Boy part 33

Curiosity awoke to the smell of preservatives and cleaners; she grimaced as she attempted to open her eyes. However she couldn't, her eyelids felt heavy and her heartbeat seemed to boom in her ears, thumping slowly like a drum that might accompany some sadistic ritual. She slowly began to work up the strength to open her eyes.

She was having a hard time focusing but as far as she could tell she was inside a tight, dark space. Her fingers began to tingle and she attempted to flex them. She only managed to move her pinkie slightly. She looked up above her head, it was dark but a faint light filtered down through what looked like a small whole in possibly… fabric? Maybe plastic, she couldn't tell. Her whole body was numb except for her slightly tingling fingers…and now toes.

She attempted to move her fingers again and was more successful this time around. All of her fingers bent slowly into her palm. She made a fist and attempted to flex them once more. Her fingers were still clumsy but she was able to extend them and draw them back again.

The air around her seemed stuffy and thick with a strong odor that she vaguely recognized but couldn't quite put her finger on.

Finally she made an effort to lift her arm up to the light filtering down on her. She managed to touch the tear in the material above her but then her arm fell limply at her side.

The material was definitely plastic. She thought a moment, the tingling in her fingers and toes dying down a little. Why would she be in a plastic bag? And why did she feel so weak? She remembered was it…? Adrian, knocking her head against the wall and then… nothing…

Suddenly her blood ran cold as a thought occurred to her and she realized just what it was she smelled and why she was in a plastic bag…

She was in a body bag… in the morgue…

Panic surged through her as she attempted to tear a bigger whole in the bag. She knew better than anyone what was about to happen. She ripped a slightly larger whole in the bag before she let her arms drop to her sides. She breathed heavily. She looked around, wide eyed and gasping for air. She was lying on a sterilized table with a scalpel, a pair of forceps, a rib spreader, surgical sewing needles, and several syringes lying on a tray next to the bed on a small cart.

Her eyes widened even further as she looked at the plethora of surgical instruments across from her head. She had to get out of here now! They were going to start an autopsy soon. HER AUTOPSY!

She lifted her arms back up and reached through the whole, grasping numbly for the zipper she knew must be there. She finally found it and unzipped the bag as far as she could, letting it slide down past her torso.

She sucked in a deep breath and held it as she rocked herself into a seated position, using her arms to balance and prop herself up.

She reached out with one hand to unzip the remainder of the bag. When the bag was unzipped she swung her legs off the table, bracing herself for what she knew would come.

She pushed herself numbly off the table, immediately causing her legs t collapse beneath her. She pushed her torso up with her arms.

Her legs were still too numb to walk.

What had happened to her? She hadn't hit her head THAT hard! She must have been drugged, but then if one of the doctors had drugged her, why was she in the morgue? She tried to calm herself down. She was clearly alive… surely they wouldn't conduct the autopsy on her, seeing as how she had escaped from the body bag and was now making her way across the floor.

She swallowed. Or would they? She remembered her last job and then shook her head and attempted to drag herself over to the door. Karma was a bitch…

She'd managed to drag herself about three feet now. She lay on the floor for a moment, catching her breath. She coughed slightly, letting the cool linoleum soothe her for a moment.

Abruptly the door in front of her swung open, letting in a cool breeze.

A pale, thin looking man walked in and stopped. Curiosity glanced up slowly, taking in his large brown combat boots and white lab coat that seemed to hang over his gangly figure, the sleeves trailing on past his wrists to meet his white bony knuckles. He had a narrow, though not sharp featured, face with a pair of glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose which looked as if it had been broken before and still had a slight crook in it. His greasy brown hair fell in a boyish manner around the frames of his glasses, making him seem a bit nerdy. His eyes were an icy blue, leering at her from behind the frames.

She attempted to stand or at least move her knees back but her legs weren't cooperating and she collapsed once more. She glared up at the man as he just stood there and watched her with a disdainful look in his eyes. She finally glanced next to her and noticed a gurney about three feet away from her and she attempted to push herself up again, grasping for something, anything, to hold on to. She couldn't reach it and her legs collapsed once more making her look like a pathetic child, unable to get to something they wanted badly.

She glared at him once more and decided to give up and leaned on her elbows.

"What did you do to me?" she demanded in a threatening tone.

He ignored her question and spoke.

"You know… I'm impressed. I didn't even expect you to wake up for another twenty minutes or so."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you want?" she asked darkly.

She was starting to regain feeling in her toes and ankles. Her legs had begun to tingle now, hopefully this was a good sign. Something he wouldn't expect.

He slowly walked around her and attempted to grab her by the arms but hesitated and dropped his arms back at his sides.

"Adrian told me you have really sharp teeth…" Curiosity smiled sadistically at the memory, showing her sharp teeth, making her look similar to the Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland.

"Now those ARE sharp… What possessed you to make them like that?"

"That's really my business now isn't it…?" She said giving him a cold stare.

"Does it make you feel good about yourself, scaring others with a flash of your smile?"

"Again, that's my business but yes, I like that." She said, her eyes following him as he made another lap around her and then turned back towards a set of cabinets at the back of the room.

Her eyes widened as he removed a syringe and a vile of an orange fluid from his jacket pocket. Her legs had stopped tingling now but she decided she wouldn't test them until she had to. If she could catch him off guard things would be a lot better. She glanced up at the scalpel on the card by the table. And just MAYBE she could have some fun later…

She smiled slightly at the idea of carving this guy's face up, she always did enjoy doing that, it never failed to put a smile on her face. Smile on her face… she shook her head as thoughts of Joker bubbled to the surface of her mind. She frowned; the stupid clown couldn't even let her have one decent fantasy without remembering the night at the chemical factory. She wondered for a moment just how long ago that had been.

The man turned back around, the syringe now filled with the strange orange fluid. Maybe she'd have some fun another way she thought. Grinning slightly but hiding it quickly so that he wouldn't grow suspicious.

"Fear is a really powerful thing you know… It doesn't matter if your rich or poor, young or old, fat or skinny, black or white, EVERYONE is afraid of something…"

"Really…? And just what are you afraid of…" she looked at his jacket, "Dr. Crane?"

Dr. Crane's smile faltered a little but he kept eye contact and smiled again.

"That's really my business now isn't it…?"


	34. Needles

Brucie Boy part 34 Dr. Crane swung around to face Curiosity s back and stabbed at her shoulder with the syringe. Curiosity quickly rocked out of the way and used her momentum to swing a powerful kick into his chest. He staggered backwards and gasped in shock. The needle had fallen from his hand and had rolled across the floor in between the two.  
Curiosity smiled broadly at him, as if daring him to make a move. He returned the smile and spit on the floor next to him.  
Curiosity made a grab for the syringe but Dr. Crane was right behind her and grabbed her hand, forcing her arm backwards in a way that might break her arm if he pushed any farther. Curiosity scowled at him and attempted to push her arm back towards him. Dr. Crane pushed harder, sending shooting pain through Curiosity s arm. She grunted, biting her tongue and drawing blood. Finally she couldn t stand it anymore and ducked under his arm, twisting her wrist in a painful manner, attempting to use his strength against him and put him off balance. Instead he shifted his weight onto her wrist and pushed down painfully, forcing her to cry out in pain and release her grip.  
She glared at him and cradled her wrist in her other hand. He grinned sadistically and approached her once more. She attempted to leap to her feet and sprint away from him but instead of jabbing at her with the syringe he kicked her sharply in the stomach, knocking all the air out of her and forcing her to stay on her knees.  
This time he sent the needle into her shoulder and pressed the plunger. She screamed in pain as it penetrated her muscle and quickly made its way out again.  
Her eyes widened in shock and she stared at her shoulder and then back up at the smiling Dr. Crane.  
Now let s see just what you re afraid of he said laughing, his laughter turning from a normal pitch to a demonic laugh as he face melted away into a sickening form, his eye sockets black with decaying flesh, cold dead eyes staring back at her. The sickening smile still present on his face, rotting teeth filling black decaying flesh painted with dried blood and maggots.  
Curiosity s eyes widened and she turned towards the exit which now seemed a million miles away, stretching on into infinity. She ran into the larger part of the morgue, searching desperately for an exit. A cool breeze swept through the room for a moment but stopped abruptly. Curiosity gazed around her, surveying the area for anyone who could possibly help her.  
She looked around in shock as bangs issued from the drawers of dead bodies. Some of the dead succeeded in their escape and rushed toward her. She dodged one figure who attempted to grab her from behind and looked back into the cold dead face of her mother, her lower jaw missing completely, her skull severed slightly into two pieces from the car crash. Her flesh tapered around her rib cage, showing her sternum and a few of her ribs.  
Curiosity screamed and backed up into another figure. She whirled around to face her father who s dead eyes locked with hers, starring coldly at her. A gaping wound pierced his chest, revealing the rotting organs inside. His neck cracked to the side in a sickening manner, as if contemplating what to do with her. Panic surged through her as she backed out of the room towards Dr. Crane. Dr. Crane watched her, enjoying the show, as her eyes widened and she thrashed at invisible figures throughout the room, screaming in terror.  
Soon her heart would stop from the amount of adrenaline pouring through her veins and it would be declared that she died of a heart attack. Any trace of chemicals left would be attributed to illegal drugs that he would hide in her cell later that night.  
Curiosity turned to look at him in horror and then she looked down at the syringes lying on the cart near her. She grabbed one and charged at him.  
YOU! STOP THIS NOW! She shouted, holding the blade to his jugular which seemed to be decaying before her eyes.  
He laughed, sending chills through her body. She glanced behind her at her advancing parents who were now joined by two others, the truck driver and orderly she had killed upon her escape attempts. Her eyes filled with fear and she turned and shook Dr. Crane violently.  
NOW! She began to slice into Dr. Crane s neck and his eyes widened. He attempted to kick her but this didn t seem to faze her. Then he realized why. With all the adrenaline pumping through her blood stream she couldn t feel it, her senses had been peaked and she would be able to do extraordinary things now. Adrenaline causes a flight or fight response and evidently he had trigged her fight response. He backed up and attempted to grab a scalpel off of the tray but only came up with a syringe. She slashed the scalpel in his direction and advanced on him, the scalpel whizzing just past his ear as he ducked out of the way. She made for another attack but he stabbed the syringe into her leg, pressing the plunger without thinking.  
Curiosity s head swum and she toppled to her knees, the scalpel skidding away from her under the gurney. She closed her eyes and calming blackness beckoned to her. She lay on the ground motionless now.  
Dr. Crane sighed and looked at the girl for a moment before getting to his feet and kicking her in the ribs. He looked up at the cart he had grabbed the syringe from and looked at what he had given her.  
Some sort of sedative.  
GREAT! JUST GREAT! That stuff will show up on a toxin screen and they can determine when it was administered! He pulled at his hair and looked around at the morgue.  
This would take him all night to clean up! He had to get rid of the body. The autopsy would start tomorrow! He thought for a moment and removed the papers the medics had given him earlier. He had to make sure no one found her. As far as this hospital was concerned, she had never existed He walked over to a small desk near the front of the morgue and sat down. He looked around the desk until he found what he wanted a paper shredder. He quickly slid the documents into the machine and watched in satisfaction as the pages fell away into the trash below. He thought a moment. Several records had been destroyed when Hugo s office had burst into flames. He just had to make sure that her file went with it Curiosity s head lolled to the side and he was torn from his thoughts. She was still alive. He couldn t believe it! How could she still be alive? He thought quickly. The sedative must have slowed her heart rate quick enough that her heart remained beating. He cursed under his breath.  
No matter He would just have to kill her. He made his way over to the gurney where the scalpel she d been wielding fell. He reached under the gurney and grasped for the sharp object, his fingers groping only slick tile.  
Suddenly sharp pain surged through his skull and he collapsed. Zai stepped over him and stuck a needle in his arm and left it there, propping him up into a seating position. She tore the end of his sleeve off and tied it above his elbow and smiled at her handiwork. Her clothes were drenched from standing in the rain, waiting for the emergency personnel to leave and find a place to hide while the Gotham P.D. searched the bridge and gate for her.  
The morgue had seemed like a quiet place where not very many people would willingly want to be at this time of night. She d been wrong as soon as she d opened the door to the morgue she saw Haley thrashing and screaming at thin air as Dr. Crane watched mercilessly. She had begun to swing a scalpel at Dr. Crane and he sent her to the floor with a syringe in his hand. She realized just what he was intending to do when he started groping under the gurney where Haley s scalpel had fallen and grabbed the nearest thing and smacked it over the top of his head. She realized the object she had used was a bedpan or something of the sort and tossed it aside, hurriedly rushing over to Haley, checking her pulse.  
She listened. Haley s pulse was weak but it was still there, she was breathing deeply. At least that was a good sign. She shook Haley s shoulder slightly, attempting to wake her, she didn t stir. Zai thought quickly and looked down at her soaking uniform and smiled. She wringed her uniform out over her face and slapped her.  
Curiosity s eyes widened in shock but then settled down as her eyes lazily wandered over to Zai and closed again.  
Come on Haley! We need to get out of here! Curiosity blinked slowly and closed her eyes again, rolling over.  
Who s Haley ? she asked drifting back to sleep.  
You, now get up! What are you talking about? My name is what is my name? I can t remember Just get up Sadie, er, Haley. Haley s eyes snapped open.  
That s it! Curiosity! Curiosity s my name She got to her feet slowly, staggering as she attempted to walk for the door. Zai sighed and grabbed her arm and helped her walk out the door into the pouring rain. 


	35. What the Heck!

Brucie Boy part 35 Adrian slept was finally getting some rest. Her neighbors had decided to hop off of each other for the night and things were relatively quiet. She sighed and rolled over, pushing her face into her plush pillow. Suddenly a sharp knock on her door shook her awake and she rolled out of bed.  
Ouch! Fu She glanced at her alarm clock. Great 6 A.M. did anyone sleep in this city?  
She sighed and rubbed her back as she made her way to the door, she was still dressed in her uniform she realized. She must have been so tired she d forgotten to change.  
She pulled her door open slowly, squinting at the light flooding in from the hallway.  
Hello? Hi, I m sorry to wake you. I have some questions for you. Would you mind if I came in? said a petite woman with long black hair that was drawn back in a messy ponytail.  
Uhh sure. Come on in Might I ask what this is about though? The woman smiled softly.  
My name is Detective Yin from the Gotham Police Department. I m here to ask you a few questions about Sadie Curio. Ok What would you like to know? You ve probably already questioned her I suppose. At this the woman looked a little shocked.  
Well No actually that would be a little hard considering she s dead. Adrian was wide awake now.  
What? What happened? How? Well, that s what I m here to find out Adrian sat down on one of the kitchen chairs.  
Why do you need to question me? She was alive the last time I saw her Well evidently not for very long because when the medics arrived she was dead. Didn t you receive any paper work on it? No, she was unconscious. She took a bite out of my arm and I went to go to the medical wing Why didn t you stay and wait for the medics to treat you? Dr. Crane told me to go. My arm was bleeding pretty badly and they hadn t arrived yet So Dr. Crane was at the scene as well? Yeah he stayed with Sadie while I went to go get my arm stitched up. Detective Yin scribbled something down and looked up at her once more.  
Thanks Adrian. You ve been a lot of help. Again, I m sorry about waking you up I hope your arm feels better Thanks Adrian replied distractedly.  
Detective Yin put her hand on her shoulder and patted it as she left, closing the door behind her and leaving Adrian to sit alone in the dark.  
She didn t bother to move for a long time. She glanced up at the clock after what seemed like ten minutes only to realize it was 8:00 A.M. She had been sitting there for over an hour!  
She quickly got up and smoothed out the wrinkles in her uniform and ran a brush through her hair, not bothering to put on any makeup. She was going to be late! She d already missed her train, she was going to have to flag down a taxi.  
She rushed down the steps past her land lady, who looked as if she was in the middle of hacking up a lung.  
She almost cried in relief as she saw a taxi parked in front of her apartment. She went to go get in but the driver waved her away.  
Sorry miss. I already have a customer. She looked through the window to see a man in the back seat.  
It s alright. I know her. We can just share and I ll pay you extra. She smiled gratefully at him and got in.  
Thank you so much! I missed my train and I just got settled in after the break in Sorry I m babbling He waved it off as if to say it was alright. No problem. Where are you headed? Arkham Asylum. She said smiling exhaustedly, maybe this day wouldn t be so bad after all.  
Arkham Asylum please and then Wayne Industries. Yes sir. Wow, Arkham Asylum. Do you work there? She laughed.  
No, I m an inmate. She replied jokingly.  
He laughed.  
What about you? Do you work at Wayne Industries? She asked smiling.  
He laughed.  
You could say that. So are you ready for our date tonight? he asked politely.  
Adrian was taken aback for a moment. Had he just asked her out on a wait a minute ?  
She felt like an idiot now. She suddenly felt the urge to literally stick her foot in her mouth. She was talking to Bruce Wayne and the contest date was TONIGHT! She d totally forgotten about it!  
Uh yeah. Where would you like to go? Great! Anywhere is fine with me. I heard there s a nice Chinese place around the corner from the bank. That sounds great. She said smiling at him despite her nervousness.  
I ll pick you up around 8? Sure. That sounds great. She said smiling.  
The taxi stopped at Arkham Asylum.  
Well, I ll see you later then Mr. Wayne Please, call me Bruce. I ll see you later. She shut the door behind her and the taxi sped off and she hurriedly rushed to Dr. Crane s office. Out of breath she glanced at her watch. She was twenty minutes late. She held her breath. She was SO on paperwork duty again.  
Sorry I m late I she stopped. The office was empty.  
Another orderly walked past her and she recognized him as Gabriel.  
Hey Gabe! Gabe stopped and turned around, smiling weakly at her. Ever since he had given Dr. Strange some patient s sketchpad he hadn t really been the same. He seemed sad, even sick at times.  
Hey Adrian. What s up? Um, I was just wondering if you d seen Dr. Crane around. I was supposed to start some project today. Sorry I haven t seen him. Come to think of it I haven t seen him since yesterday. Let me know if you find him. He s supposed to have group today with a few of the patients. Oh ok. Thanks Gabe. I ll be sure to pass on the message if I find him. No problem. Thanks. He said smiling as he turned to leave.  
Adrian stood there inn thought for a moment before turning to leave. If Dr. Crane hadn t been here all day and she had nothing to do She looked over at the exit that led over to the morgue.  
She had to see it for herself. There was NO WAY Sadie was dead. She didn t hit her head THAT hard She walked over to the door and let her hand linger on the handle for a moment before she walked out into the nearly blinding sun.  
She shielded her eyes until they had adjusted and walked towards the large brick building. This part of the island always gave her the creeps. All of the buildings were older and looked more rundown than the rest.  
She opened the door, shining bright light in on the face of Dr. Crane. He groaned slowly as he opened his eyes one at a time.  
Adrian gasped as she looked over at Dr. Crane. A needle stuck out of his arm.  
Adrian rushed over to his side and felt his pulse, it was slow but it was there.  
We ve got to get you to a hospital. Geez Crane! How stupid are you? You work at a hospital for Christ s sake! He suddenly gripped her arm tightly.  
No, I m alright. I know this looks bad but No buts about it! There s a needle sticking out of your arm! She shouted angrily.  
He frowned and looked down in confusion. His eyes widened slightly.  
What the heck ? he thought.  
He looked over on the floor and almost sighed in relief. Sadie had evidently escaped. He d have to deal with her soon but at least he didn t have to deal with it right now. He had enough to worry about He hated saying this but things would be a lot worse if he didn t say something.  
I had an itch Adrian. I was dealing with all of Hugo s paperwork and with the accident report and everything and I relapsed. I haven t done anything like this in a REALLY long time but things were just so chaotic and I ve got to turn you in for this she said almost feeling sorry for him.  
Please Adrian I ll lose my job. I ll lose my medical license! I swear, I ll never do it again! I won t touch the stuff! Adrian gritted her teeth and choked out a sentence as she turned her back on him.  
Fine! But I m signing you up for rehab! You better not screw this up! I won t. I promise. Thanks Adrian. You won t regret it! I better not she growled. Go clean yourself up! You ve got group today Adrian left him sitting there in darkness as she left.  
Dr. Crane scowled and rose to his feet, ripping the needle and scrap of cloth off his arm. He checked the side. It was a sedative What had happened? He remembered reaching under the gurney and then blank.  
There was no way Sadie could have even gotten up by herself. Let alone knock him out. Maybe the other patient that had escaped, oh, what was her name, some strange name Zai! Maybe Zai had hit him and escaped with Sadie. Very strange usually patients only cared about themselves here He shrugged. Maybe they didn t like each other and she only wanted to harm her herself He thought. But then why not use the morgue while he was unconscious? These patients confused him. Well, he supposed, that was probably the reason they were in a mental hospital in the first place. They were all crazy.  
If only he could find a way to make people respect him, to fear him like they feared all the whack jobs in Arkham He drew out a vile of his orange toxin from his jacket. Maybe there WAS one way The formula needed a water based substance to take effect but there wasn t anything preventing it from taking effect as a vapor He d have to experiment with it a little but in theory it should work He looked around and saw a few drops of blood on the floor from his fight with Sadie.  
And he knew EXACTLY who his test subjects would be 


	36. A Friend's House

Brucie Boy part 36

Zai was half carrying Curiosity now and she was beginning to get heavy. They were nearing the bridge now. The GPD had left to go search the down town area for her. Orderlies were posted at the gate but some looked as if they were going to fall asleep or simply didn't care much.

She sighed and began to drag Curiosity down under the bridge away from the orderlies at the gate.

"Come on Sadie! WALK! You're legs aren't broken!"

"My name's not Sadie… It's Curiosity… I think… Yeah, Curiosity." She muttered sleepily, yawning in midsentence.

"Fine if you're not going to walk…SWIM!" Zai said thrusting Curiosity out in front of her into the river below.

Curiosity went wide eyed as she hit the ice cold water. She stood up after a minute, getting used to the current and temperature, staggering slightly as she did so.

Zai laughed hysterically as Curiosity pulled a brown leaf out of her hair.

"Ha ha! Very FUNNY!"Curiosity said emphasizing the last word as she pulled Zai down with her.

Zai sputtered as she sat up frowning, Curiosity laughed hysterically now, falling backwards as Zai got up and shoved her. They both laughed hysterically for a while. The river was too noisy for their laughter to be heard by anyone above them; still they attempted to quiet themselves.

The wind was cold and they shivered a little.

"That probably wasn't the BEST idea in the world but it WAS pretty funny." Zai said as another wave of cold air whipped at their backs.

Curiosity snickered. "Yeah, it was. We can't do much about it now though."

"I guess we better start walking."

Curiosity nodded, wringing out her hair and uniform.

"We need a new change of clothes anyway." She said making her way down the bank.

"Where are you going?" Zai asked, running to catch up with her.

Curiosity stopped for a moment and gave Zai an odd expression as if she were considering telling her but had decided against it. She then started walking towards the woods.

"A friend's house…"

Zai gave her a confused look but remained silent and followed close behind.

The woods were a nice relief from the wind but they were both chilled to the bone by the time they arrived at a small cul-de-sac on the outer edge of the woods.

"So… which one is it?" Zai asked.

Curiosity looked around until she saw a relatively small house with Christmas decorations lining the widows and roof. A reindeer moved up and down mechanically in the front yard.

"That one." She said treading down the slope towards the house.

Zai followed and stopped at the back door of the house. Curiosity felt around under the doormat until she came up with a key and unlocked the door.

"You're sure your friend doesn't mind us staying here?"

Curiosity looked at her coolly and then laughed, receiving a rather confused look from Zai.

"No," she said walking in and up to a nearby chair and spinning it around, "He doesn't seem to mind anything anymore."

Zai's eyes widened and she felt as if she were going to puke. An older man lay slumped over in the chair, his throat slit open. Dark dried blood covered the chair and floor. He had obviously been there for a while. He was beginning to decompose and she could now smell him from the doorway.

Curiosity seemed unperturbed by either the sight or Zai's discomfort and walked into the nearest bedroom and flipped the light on.

"Well? Are you coming?" she asked stepping back into the doorway of the bedroom.

Zai took one last look at the gruesome sight and then walked into the bedroom with Curiosity.

Curiosity flung open a large walk in closet door and stepped inside.

"You're about my size right?" She asked peering back at Zai.

"Uh… yeah…?" Zai said uncomfortably.

"Ok, here! Catch!" She said throwing a nice white sweater and a pair of dark blue jeans at her.

Zai caught them and looked inside the closet. The entire closet was filled with expensive looking clothes and shoes.

"It's a good thing I went shopping before…this." She said gesturing towards her hair.

Zai shivered at the memory of that night.

"Here are some pajamas! There's a guest room down the hall to the right." She said throwing Zai a pair of dark blue pajamas as she went to crank up the thermostat on the wall "Looks like we're having a slumber party tonight!"

Zai laughed uneasily. "GREAT…! I'm just going to go… um… change."

Curiosity smiled warmly at her. Zai turned and headed down the hall to the last room on the right and flipped the light on. She sighed in relief when she saw there were no dead men in her room.

Zai quickly changed into the blue pajamas and looked at herself in the mirror on the dresser. Her hair was still damp and it seemed to be going in six different directions at once. She sighed and saw that there was a brush on the dresser and began to run it through her hair to fix it.

When she finished she sighed and lay down on the bed for a few minutes, relaxing, if you could call it that.

After about twenty minutes someone knocked on her door. Zai got off the bed and answered the door. Curiosity smiled at her holding a bowl of soup.

"Do you want some?" She asked.

"Uh… sure. Thanks." Zai said, taking the bowl from her.

Curiosity was dressed in a pair of light blue pajamas with sheep printed all over them. This made her look a lot younger than she actually was and almost made her seem sort of innocent. Her hair was pulled back in a short messy green ponytail.

Zai starred at the soup for a moment before taking a spoonful in. Curiosity smiled at her but didn't show her teeth.

"It's chicken and noodle soup." Zai smiled now.

"It's good. So, no hard feelings about…" she pointed to her hair.

Curiosity thought a moment, her smile dropping temporarily.

"Only if there are no hard feelings about my drugging you and dragging you out of Arkham. Thanks for saving me with crane by the way… Crazy son of a bitch, I didn't even do anything to him!"

Zai laughed nervously.

"No problem and no hard feelings… so… truce?"

Curiosity smiled and shook Zai's hand.

"Truce."

"Just one thing…" Zai said carefully.

Curiosity eyed Zai oddly.

"What?"

"Could we get rid of the dead guy over there? He really stinks." She said pointing to the living room and holding her nose.

Curiosity laughed and plopped down on the bed.

"Yeah… he does kind of stink doesn't he?"


	37. Mine to Kill

Brucie Boy part 37

Joker stood up from his chair next to his sewing machine and stretched, holding up his finished work. He'd attempted to get the measurements JUST right and he was happy with it. He smiled broadly and looked at a clock on the wall behind him. He'd been working for about 6 hours! It was well past midnight now…

"If this doesn't fit Zai I'll just have to make her fit…" He half laughed half mumbled.

He set his work down on the table once more and sat down in his tattered arm chair, flipping the TV on as he did so.

The news was on, as usual. A bunch of stupid reporters were fussing over some stupid story…

He was about to change the channel to something funnier like Tom and Jerry or A Thousand Ways to Die when a reporter with long black hair came into view in front of Arkham Asylum.

Joker smiled and turned up the volume a little.

"Maybe Zai has escaped already…" he mumbled excitedly.

"Tragedy here at Arkham Asylum today where patient Sadie Curio was killed during an escape attempt by Adrian Davis, an orderly at the asylum. She was attempting the leave the facility with a fellow patient when she met Miss. Davis. The woman attempted to stop her from leaving and was apparently injured in the process and has been treated in the Arkham Medical facility…"

Joker thought on this a moment. He knew ALL the whack jobs at Arkham and Sadie Curio wasn't one of them… unless…

Suddenly a picture came up on the screen of the patient. A girl with dark green eyes starred back at him from the television set, her crooked, snaggletooth smile seemingly mocking him.

He scowled at the screen. Another picture rose next to Curiosity's.

"The other escaped patient, shown here, Zai last name unknown, has evaded capture and is considered highly dangerous both to herself and to others. If seen please contact the Gotham City Police Department…"

Joker had had enough. He picked up one of his prop hammers from behind his chair and hurled in down onto the TV. Glass crunched under its weight and fell to the floor in jagged pieces.

She was HIS to kill! Not some stupid flunky's!"

"Fine if I can't kill HER… I'll kill the flunky that did…" he stated darkly.

He looked at the smashed remains of his television set.

"I'll bet Penguin never has to deal with any of this lady drama… but then again… Penguin has never had any ladies to begin with!" He laughed hysterically at his own joke and then suddenly stopped.

Penguin had destroyed his drawings! He scowled like a child who hadn't gotten his way.

Maybe Penguin NEEDED some lady drama… he thought as he looked over at Zai's dress laying on the table, it's spiraling colors enticing him with thoughts of Zai killing Penguin in her purple dress .

He shook his head and looked at a calendar that hung below the clock. A picture of Batman was drawn above the dates and several darts stuck out from its forehead. He had drawn a huge red smiley face over December 25th. Christmas happened to be three days away. He looked at the picture of Batman.

"Well Brucie boy do I have a present for you… We'll get the whole FAMILY together! We'll even have a bird on the table…" he laughed ominously.

"Maybe I'll even invite that funky… Adrian…" he said darkly, looking over at the place where his television used to be.

He glanced up at the clock again. He'd better get going soon. He had to get ready for the party!


	38. Bipolar Much?

Brucie Boy part 38

Curiosity and Zai sat on the living room couch. Curiosity had dragged the old man outside and tossed him in a dumpster behind one of the more upscale houses. She'd insisted that she do it. This struck Zai as a little strange but she was glad that she didn't have to touch the putrid rotting corpse. Curiosity hadn't even bothered to put on gloves! Zai shuddered at the thought of touching something like that without gloves… At least she had washed her hands when she came back and used the antibacterial soap, not however, before she teasingly wiped her hand on Zai's pajama top. Zai was definitely going to have to take a shower. She hadn't washed her hair since they'd escaped anyway and she still smelled faintly of… she sniffed herself… macaroni…

She shuddered but remained seated as she and Curiosity watched the news. Curiosity's picture suddenly flashed upon the screen. Curiosity immediately started to crack up and pounded her fist on the side of the couch and fell to the floor with tears in her eyes.

"Those idiots think I'm DEAD!" She laughed uncontrollably now, finally calming herself down when her face seemed as if it couldn't get any redder.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Those idiots ACTUALLY think I'm dead… hmmm…" another spill of laughter busted from her gut.

Zai laughed a little bit to, although her laughter wasn't as feverish. She still recalled the night they escaped. When Crane had reached under a gurney to retrieve a scalpel to stab Curiosity, Curiosity lying on the floor, her pulse barely detectable.

"This is GREAT! Now Joker will think I'm dead and he won't come looking for me!"

"Yeah, and I won't have to take you back to him!" Zai said, realizing Curiosity's point, lifting her spirits considerably.

Curiosity stopped laughing abruptly.

"What did you just say?"

"Uh… I won't have to take you back to Joker…" Zai said thrown. What had she said?

"So THAT'S why you were back in Arkham wasn't it? You hadn't done ENOUGH damage so you came to Arkham to bring me BACK!" She said angrily, all pretenses of her younger self seeming to fall away from her face only to be replaced with sheer hatred.

"I said I'm NOT taking you back! Geez Sadie! Bipolar much? Just because he tells me to do something doesn't mean I actually do it!" Zai countered, mustering all the bravado she could even though she felt weak in the knees.

"MY NAME ISN'T SADIE!" Curiosity screamed.

She was about to berate her once more but stopped mid-word and instead took out her pocket knife and began stabbing a pillow on the couch repeatedly.

Zai fought the urge to run in the other direction as Curiosity's stabs became increasingly dramatic.

Finally Curiosity stopped and fell to her knees, letting the knife drop onto the floor next to her, burying her face between her knees.

When her breathing slowed down Zai slowly approached her and sat down beside her and thought about patting her on the back. She really hated physical contact but she felt compelled to do… something…

She patted her on the back and Curiosity flinched away as if her very touch were poisonous. Then her expression turned to something of guilt and she got up.

"I need some air… sorry…" Curiosity said quickly, almost whispering the last part but making it loud enough that Zai could still hear it as she ran out the front door despite the fact that she was still in her pajamas and it was beginning to snow.

Zai ran after her, nearly slipping on a patch of ice near the door. Curiosity had run out the front door. The entire neighborhood would see her if she wasn't careful…

Zai finally caught up to Curiosity at the edge of a long spiraling driveway. A mansion in front of them. Curiosity had stopped and just stared up at the night sky, taking in the hazy moonlight shining down on her, her breath steaming visibly in front of her face.

Zai stood next to her and looked up at the sky with her.

"You know… They say cowards die a thousand times before their death. The valiant only taste of death but once... This marks my fifth official death… Just once, I'd like a chance to actually live… I don't want to be constantly running for my life. All of my friends betray me, everyone else leaves me. I guess I deserve it… I've done horrible things to innocent people for no other reason than I wanted to… Now karma's out to get me." She laughed weakly. "So…" she finally turned to face Zai, "Which are you? Are you going to abandon me or betray me? Because if you're going to kill me I'd prefer if you did it now rather than let Joker do it for you…"

"Curiosity… I'm not going to kill you… and neither is Joker. He thinks you're dead and there's nothing that could possibly make him think otherwise…" Zai said comfortingly, gripping Curiosity's shoulders without realizing it, looking into her eyes.

Curiosity stood there for a moment and then sighed and looked away.

"Ok. I need some time to think…" She finally said.

Zai smiled softly. "Sure, but can you do it back at the house? It's starting to get really cold out here…"

Curiosity chuckled a little and looked down at her bare feet.

"Yeah… it is getting cold." Zai smiled at this and started to walk towards the house again.

"Hey Zai?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks…"

"No problem… not everyone is cruel. There are actually good people you know." Zai said convincing both Curiosity and herself.

Perhaps she was right. Maybe there was good in the world. It was just buried under all the chaos and destruction, war and hate.

Suddenly a set of bright lights nearly blinded both of them and they quickly dodged out of the way and landed on the sidewalk. A wave of icy water soaked Zai as a car came into view. Curiosity quickly pulled Zai to her feet and threw her around the side of the house along with herself.

A bright blue Lamborghini parked in the driveway of the mansion and a dark haired man stepped out and walked around the side of the car to open the passenger's side door. A woman stepped out that both Zai AND Curiosity recognized immediately.

"Adrian…" the two whispered in confused unison.

Adrian was dressed in a dark blue skirt with a blue and white striped shirt and a butterfly belt; her hair pulled back in a braided tiara around the sides of her head.

"Sorry about dinner. Evidently you have to schedule reservations a week in advance." Bruce said as he led Adrian into the house, unlocking the door.

Curiosity smiled.

"Want to have a little fun?" she asked Zai, who's hair was now dripping with icy water.

"Sure… if it gets us inside then yes!" Zai said, her teeth chattering now.

Curiosity laughed and tugged on Zai's arm for her to follow. Zai flinched at the sudden contact but said nothing. Curiosity obviously wasn't the type of person to a pick fight with over why she shouldn't touch her.


	39. Just a Little Mischief

Brucie Boy part 39

Adrian and Bruce pulled into the drive way of his house. Adrian was not at all thrilled at coming back to the house but Bruce had insisted and she'd bought a special outfit for the occasion. Besides, she always had an excuse if he decided to try anything. The butler, Alfred would be there and she could always ask to use the restroom. If that didn't work she always had her pepper spray… although… he seemed like a fairly nice guy. Maybe he wasn't as sleazy as the press had portrayed him to be…

"Sorry about dinner. Evidently you have to schedule reservations a week in advance." Bruce said as he opened her door for her and led her into the mansion.

Adrian's jaw nearly dropped. The mansion was just that a MANSION! It was huge! She looked up in wonder. The entire mansion had to be at least seven stories tall! When she entered the front door the air smelled faintly of garlic and parmesan.

"I hope you like Italian. I know I suggested Chinese but your brother called and told me you prefer Italian. He asked me to tell you hello and to wish you a pleasant evening. How did he get my number anyway? I'm not sure I remember even giving it to you…"

Adrian's face flushed of color immediately and she began breathing heavily in slow even breaths, trying to calm herself down.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked as Adrian sat down on the nearest couch.

Adrian looked up at him fearfully.

"My brother…? But how? I didn't even tell my mother about the date! I'm sorry, I can't stay here. I have to go…" Adrian said suddenly standing up and making her way for the door.

Bruce grabbed her wrist gently.

"Adrian, what's going on? We haven't even had dinner yet."

Adrian glanced at the door once more but turned to face Bruce quickly.

"My brother is extremely dangerous. He's the one that broke into my apartment. I'll just leave it at that…" Adrian said hurriedly, making her way for the door once more.

"Adrian, I promise. He won't hurt you here. If ANYONE comes onto the property the alarm will go off and alert the police if I don't contact them within five minutes."

Zai and Curiosity hid in a room adjacent to the living room that appeared to be some sort of electrical room, fighting back fits of mad laughter at hearing the irony in Bruce's statement.

This seemed to calm Adrian down a little but she still seemed anxious and eyed the door warily.

"Alright… I'll stay until after dinner… but if ANYTHING what so ever goes wrong I'm leaving." She said vehemently.

The wind was getting stronger now and a flurry of snow covered the windows with a deafening force, rattling the glass in its frames.

Alfred popped his head into the living room from the kitchen and smiled.

"Dinner is served." He said politely as he brought in two large silver covered platters.

Zai and Curiosity grinned maliciously as they looked at each other. Zai had moved over to a panel on the wall and attempted to pry it open. It was no use. It was locked. Suddenly she had an idea and looked over at Curiosity and pointed to her hair.

Curiosity gave her a confused look but then realized what she meant and took her hair down, removing two bobby pins from her hair and handing them over.

Zai smiled gratefully and began to pick the lock. This took her about five minutes but she finally heard a soft click and she pried the door open.

She grinned. The panel she had opened happened to be the fuse box. Curiosity grinned to as she saw this. Zai began to flip all of the switches yanking out even the wires after she had finished.

Suddenly all the lights in the mansion went down and Adrian, Bruce, and Alfred stood in the darkness. Curiosity and Zai quickly ran from the room and snaked around to the kitchen, avoiding the confused stares of the others.

Adrian looked around in a panic. Bruce eyed the darkness suspiciously.

"Stay here." Bruce said, heading towards the breaker room.

Bruce attempted to find the fuse box only to find that it stood wide open, the wires had been pulled and the switches had been thrown.

As Bruce left to go to the breaker room Zai and Curiosity giggled softly and stepped behind Adrian. Curiosity stepped closer to her and whispered in her ear.

"Boo…" she said softly, sending Adrian whirling around with pepper spray in her hand.

Curiosity's eyes widened and she ducked just in time for Adrian to spray Alfred in the face with pepper spray.

Alfred's hands flew to his eyes. He screamed in pain.

The two girls giggled softly and ran back into the kitchen.

Bruce heard Alfred scream and quickly ran into the living room. Alfred's fists were clenched over his eyes.

"What happened?" Bruce asked fearfully, grasping Alfred by the shoulders.

Alfred looked at Bruce with fiery red eyes and pointed over to Adrian who laughed uneasily.

"Sorry Alfred… I heard something and I just freaked out…"

"You sprayed me with pepper spray!" Alfred cursed softly as he made his way back into the kitchen to go rinse his eyes out.

Bruce sighed in relief.

"Ok, I'm going to go try and find the backup generator. Stay here and please… Don't spray Alfred again…"

Adrian sighed. "I said I was sorry…"

Suddenly an overwhelming feeling of dread came over Adrian as she realized she was alone in the dark.

"Alfred?" She called as she heard something coming from the kitchen.

There was no answer.

The wind howled once more and Adrian moved toward the kitchen.

"Alfred?" She said placing her hand on the door and pushing it open gently.

Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind and whipped her arms behind her back, forcing the pepper spray to fall onto the ground. Another figure stood in front of her, barely illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the kitchen window. Dark green eyes locked with hers, a broad sharp toothed grin smiled mischievously back at her.

"No… how? They told me you were dead!"

"No, but you will be." The girl laughed in front of her.

Suddenly a third figure came into view; however Adrian couldn't make out his features.

Suddenly sleet pounded the windows and the man stepped into the light, causing the figure behind her to step back with her still in her grip.

"Uh… Curiosity…" Zai said continuing to back up.

"Well isn't this a nice surprise… I suppose I'll have to set an extra chair at the table now, considering you're still alive." Joker said grinning broadly as he stepped into the pale moonlight.

Curiosity spun slowly around to face Joker, his bright red eyes staring into hers. He grinned maliciously and grabbed her by the throat.

"We're going to have some fun tonight…"


	40. I Saved Your Life For Now

Brucie Boy part 40

Curiosity struggled to get out of Joker's grip, clawing at his hands trying to get them away from her throat. He only laughed at this however, tightening his grip. His arms were in just the right position so that she couldn't move her head far enough to bite his arm. She glared at him but her anger quickly faded into fear as his grip tightened further. He lifted her up to eye level and smiled at her as she kicked wildly her eyes widening in fear. She couldn't breathe, her entire head filled with panic as she looked into his eyes. If only she'd stayed in the house, if only she'd run in front of someone else's house…

Everything began to get a little fuzzy and her arms were beginning to feel extremely heavy, she clawed weakly at his hands, feeling faint.

Zai had let go of Adrian by this point, however Adrian hadn't moved and watched in horror as Joker strangled Curiosity. After a moment's hesitation Adrian ran up to Joker and stomped on his bare feet.

Joker smiled at Adrian as if the action hadn't even fazed him.

"You're going to pay for that. I hope you know I just saved your life… for the moment." He said turning his attention away from Adrian back to Curiosity.

"You still don't need to kill her!" Joker looked back at her and Adrian stared into his eyes.

"Well, technically she's ALREADY dead according to the media. They said YOU killed her… And by the way, yes I do."

Joker looked back at Curiosity who had stopped clawing at his hands and dropped her to the floor. She gasped for breath and he kicked her against the wall, knocking her out. He now focused his attention on Adrian.

"I'll prolong it for a little while though. We've got to get ready for the party and I want to have a little more fun with her… " He motioned for Zai to grab Adrian.

Zai gave Adrian an almost apologetic look but grabbed her and began to drag her out the doorway. Joker glanced back at Curiosity and hoisted her over his shoulder as if she were a doll rather than an actual person.

Adrian kicked at Zai, trying in vain to get free.

Joker stopped when they came to the driveway and smashed one of the windows in on the Lamborghini and opened the door from the inside, popping the trunk.

He quickly walked back to the trunk and threw Curiosity in and looked back at Adrian.

"Now should we lock you in here to or are you going to behave?" he asked matter-of-factly.

Adrian said nothing and continued to struggle. Finally elbowing Zai in the gut and bolting away from her. Joker however saw this coming and cut her off, sending a sharp kick into the side of her head. Adrian staggered for a moment and held her head, waiting for the pounding sensation to leave so that she could open her eyes once more. Joker quickly sent another kick into her chest and she slammed against the side of the car, her head lolled to the side, as she surrendered to unconsciousness.

He smiled and lifted her up and into the trunk, slamming it down into place as he turned to leave with a now terrified Zai.

"Now, let's go see what old Brucie boy's up to…" he said walking over towards the side of the mansion, draping his arm over Zai's shoulder.

Zai's eyes widened and she quickly moved out from under his arm, avoiding his touch.

"Don't touch me!" She growled.

Joker glared darkly at her but kept walking, keeping an eye on her as she walked next to him.

Suddenly the mansion lit up, it's enormous shadow engulfing them in darkness as they made their way to the back where the generators were kept.

Bruce sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. He'd finally gotten the generator to start up. Luckily the power supply to the batcave had been rigged to receive power around the clock so all the security systems should have remained active during the black out, or at least around the batcave…

Someone had gotten into the wiring on the generators but he was able to reroute the power and connect a few of the wires. The manor still wouldn't have much power but at least the lights would work.

Bruce didn't have any weapons on him at the moment and the batcave was locked down when the generators kicked on. He would only be able to enter it manually which would take quite a bit of time, time he didn't have at the moment.

Someone was in the house. He had to get back to Alfred and Adrian and make sure they were alright. He started to turn but saw someone, a girl, out of the corner of his eye and quickly hid in wait.

Joker stopped abruptly, catching Zai off guard.

"What?" Zai asked as Joker stared at the generators.

He didn't answer. This worried Zai a little.

Out of the blue he started walking again, this time towards the generators. Zai followed behind, glancing behind herself from time to time both thinking as to whether or not she should make a run for it and to see if anyone happened to be following them.

Joker smiled evilly.

"I know you're there Brucie boy…" he almost hissed.

Bruce gripped the only weapon he could find… which happened to be a garden hose… his only hope was to get out of there before he was seen. If he were to fight Joker he would no doubt reveal that he was Batman to the girl… or even worse… Joker might try to kill her to bait him into admitting it…

Even though he hated even to think about it Bruce had to run… at least for the moment. A garden hose wasn't going to be able to protect anyone. Even though he was a good fighter he wouldn't be able to stop Joker from killing the girl at that close of a range.

Joker waltzed over toward the generators, shock evident in his features when all he found was a garden hose.

Zai raised an eyebrow as Joker stared at the hose but remained silent.

"Hey Zai!"

Zai looked at him quizzically. "What?"

"Catch!" he tossed her a purple dress with a pair of black leggings and gloves.

She caught them and frowned at him but grudgingly looking down at the clothes.

The spiraling patterns matched the straight jacket he was wearing but looked a bit more feminine. She sighed.

"You know I hate dresses." She stated matter-of-factly.

Joker frowned but then grinned mischievously.

She looked up and he turned around with the hose in his hands and turned the knob, soaking her from head to toe.

She scowled at him making her look like a cat that had just been flung in a bathtub.

"You look a little chilly…" Zai's eyes widened and she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring furiously at him now. He laughed hysterically.

Zai mumbled under her breath. "Real mature…"

Joker continued to laugh hysterically as she rolled her eyes and started to walk away, she was freezing now and her hair continued to drip cold water down her spine, making things even less pleasant than they already were.

"I'm not wearing that…" she said flatly.

Joker shrugged and grinned at her.

"Suit yourself, but it's only going to get colder."

Zai gave the dress another look as a cold breeze whipped at her back.

"Fine, but I get to use Wayne's bathroom."

Joker giggled and attempted to cut in but she interrupted him before he could utter anything.

"And NO, you can't come in."

Suddenly a car engine started, startling both of them. They ran to the front of the mansion just in time to see the Lamborghini pull out of the driveway and down the street.

Joker growled.

"Hurry up! It looks like our friends are ready to go..."

Zai hurriedly ran through the front doors and into the bathroom, locking it behind her and staring at the dress for a moment before finally putting it on.

"Screw it..."


	41. Secrets Revealed

Brucie Boy part 41

Curiosity awoke to the sound of a car starting. Her head hurt and she could feel warm blood trickling down her scalp. She looked around herself and she shivered as she felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. She was in an enclosed, dark space with only two thin seams of light. It was too dark to see but at least she could move unlike last time. She patted the area around herself as the car jerked forward into drive, causing her to fall face forward. She cursed under her breath but found herself pushing herself up on an almost silky material.

She moved her hand upward and found an almost cotton material before her hand finally landed on something distinct, a face. She jerked her hand back as the figure stirred and sat up.

"Where am I? Ouch!" The figure said as their head banged against the metallic ceiling.

"I guess that answers my question…"

"Adrian?" Curiosity asked slightly confused.

"Who's there? Ouch!" the figure asked spinning their head around and smacking it once again on the low ceiling.

"Well isn't this a NICE surprise! I get to share a trunk with a stupid flunky!" Curiosity mumbled bitterly.

"Flunky? Wait a minute… Sadie? Great! I get to share a trunk with a psychopathic teenager!"

"I'm twenty-three! Why does everyone think I'm a freaking teenager?" Curiosity cried out in frustration.

"So… you're not upset that I called you a psychopath. You're upset that I called you a teenager?"

"Pretty much. Although, my name isn't Sadie by the way. I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me that. That's just for the flunkies back at Arkham."

"Oh, so I'm different than the flunkies back at Arkham?"

"Only because you're in here with me and not in Arkham and I don't want to kill any of them… well… I take that back… I don't want to kill any of them for any particular REASON."

There was a pause that implied that Adrian was rolling her eyes.

"And what should I call you then Miss. I'm twenty-three not a teenager?"

"Curiosity, but keep that up and you won't be calling me or anyone else anything. Ouch!" Curiosity said angrily, sitting upright and smacking her head on the trunk.

Adrian laughed as she heard Curiosity's head smack the ceiling.

Suddenly the car hit a speed bump and both of them hit the trunk with a smack.

They both cried out in unison, rubbing their heads.

"Yeah, well neither of us will be saying much of anything if we don't get out of here pretty soon…" Adrian said looking up at the thin beams of light filtering into the trunk.

Curiosity looked up at the light and sighed.

"Ok, I won't kill you right now, if only for the reason that I might need some help taking Joker or whoever's out there down and I really don't want to have to deal with your stinking corpse if we have to ride in the trunk any longer. But if we get out of here and your buddy Dr. Crane is behind this I'm kicking your ass."

"What do you mean my "buddy" Dr. Crane?"

"Your "buddy" Dr. Crane who drugged me and injected me with this weird toxin or whatever that made me freak out and see my dead parents in the morgue! Your "buddy" Dr. Crane who, if it hadn't been for Zai, would have killed me!" Curiosity spat disgustedly.

Adrian sat there stunned.

Curiosity seemed satisfied with her silence and started feeling behind her once more until she found something odd and pulled up.

Suddenly a box came up out of the floor of the trunk and Curiosity felt around inside of it. Another almost silky object fell under her touch. This time however she was certain it wasn't another orderly stowed away in the trunk. She lifted it up out of the box and held it up to the faint light. She could barely make anything out. It looked like some sort of suit…

She traced the front of it with her index finger, looping it around what seemed to be a bat. What was this? Suddenly a thought hit her.

"Nah… It couldn't be." She looped her finger around the symbol once more, letting it linger in the center for a moment. "Could it?"

She felt around in the box again and came up with a rubber like thing that felt like maybe… a belt?

She attempted to move her fingers into the lining of the belt but it refused to open.

Curiosity laughed.

"Hey Adrian, looks like you got more than you bargained for with your little date."

"What…?" Adrian asked confused.

Curiosity handed the suit over to her and let her trace the center with her fingers.

"What is this?" she asked.

"What do you think it is?"

"There's no way… whoever is driving the car must have…" she traced the lining once more. "But Bruce is just a flirt, some stupid rich guy with commitment issues…"

"Really… and why do you think that is? You are the psychiatrist after all."

Suddenly the car stopped and the engine died. Curiosity grasped her hand around the empty box, feeling its weight in her hands as she waited for the trunk to open.

Suddenly the trunk popped open. Curiosity quickly flung the box in the figure's direction, missing the figure by about a foot but managing to surprise him and catch him off guard. She took another swing at his head before realizing just who it was. It was Bruce Wayne.

"What the hell?" Bruce cried as he dodged the blow.

Curiosity winded down and stopped swinging at him but kept the box in her hand.

"Nice of you to join us Brucie boy but couldn't you have let us out of the trunk BEFORE you ran over that speed bump back there?"

Bruce acted as if he were seeing a ghost and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing straight. Curiosity rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I'm alive. Great work detective. Now if you don't mind, we need your expertise to save Zai." She said sighing and heading for the driver's seat of the Lamborghini.

"And don't worry; I won't bite you this time." She said tossing him the Batman suit.

His eyes widened in shock and he ran to the front of the car to stop her from driving.

"Do you even have your license? By the way I just bought this car. That suit isn't mine."

Curiosity gave him a skeptical look and then glared at him.

"Sure it isn't… and Dracula bit you to… just save it and get in. I can drive. I'm twenty-three! Why does no one seem to understand that? Geez!"

"Oh, and just so you know. If you try and take me back to Arkham after all this is over… you're dead. After the little incident last time I have no intentions of going back and Adrian your little buddy Dr. Crane is as good as dead anyway."

Adrian shot Bruce a pleading look and Bruce returned it with an apologetic one.

"Fine, we'll go. But if you try to kill anyone. You're going back to Arkham, whether you like it or not."

Curiosity considered this and shook Bruce's hand. He was Batman he wouldn't kill her. Right now that was the best thing she could hope for. Besides, she could still kill people, just not while he was around… She almost laughed but kept a straight face as Bruce got in and they began to drive off towards the manor once more.


	42. Does EVERYONE know!

Brucie Boy part 42 Curiosity turned the keys in the ignition and the radio began playing Billionaire. Bruce slid into the passenger s side seat and quickly buckled his seat belt. Adrian opened the back door.  
If it s all the same with you two, I d rather stay here where people AREN T trying to kill me. Adrian said.  
Curiosity shrugged. Suit yourself; you re only in one of the worst parts of Gotham at night. By the way how s your brother doing? Last I heard he was looking for you? Or was I mistaken when I overheard your conversation with Bruce? Adrian s blood ran cold and Curiosity gave her a sadistic smile, enjoying Adrian s discomfort. Adrian looked back toward the dark alleyway around the car.  
Fine, I ll go but I m staying in the car. Fine with me. Curiosity said, shrugging and turning back around to face the front, punching the gas as Adrian stepped into the car, barely allowing her time to close the door, sending her flying into the back of Bruce s seat.  
Ouch! What was that for? Curiosity laughed and gave her a flat look. What do you think? Plus I thought it would be funny. She said slowing down to a normal pace now and heading back to Wayne manor.  
Bruce rolled his eyes and gripped the dashboard as Curiosity sped up even further as they approached the mansion.  
As they pulled into the driveway Curiosity turned the wheel and skidded into the long, curved driveway, spraying rocks into the yard as she stopped.  
Adrian s face hit the window and Curiosity laughed hysterically before jumping out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition.  
Bruce turned to Adrian.  
You know I m Batman don t you? Uh yeah. Adrian replied uneasily.  
He sighed. Does everyone know? he asked more to himself than to her, putting his suit on.  
Adrian wondered who else knew as he hopped out of the Lamborghini. She quickly locked the doors and slid down in her seat. She should have just stayed home who would have guessed that she won a date with a billionaire Batman After about five minutes of waiting for the two to return she heard a loud crash from one of the windows breaking in the mansion and she ducked down and looked out at the scene in front of her but saw nothing. She kept her eyes trained on the mansion, watching for any sign of Bruce or anyone else Soon she felt the odd sensation that someone was watching her and turned around to face her brother in the front seat.  
Hi there sis need a LIFT? he said shutting the door and roughly starting the engine after buckling his seat belt and shifting it into drive.  
Adrian flew back as he stopped on the gas, heading straight for the mansion! She screamed at him and attempted to rip his arms from the steering wheel or at least shift them.  
Suddenly he slammed on the brake when she thought they were going to hit the building for sure. Her eyes widened quickly as she felt herself being thrown out of her seat and through the windshield. She covered her face and attempted to roll out of it as best she could but her head smacked against the brick of the mansion and she was met only with darkness.  
Bruce s ears perked up as he heard a crack and then a car pull away. Curiosity had gone to search the back of the mansion where Bruce had last seen Joker.  
Adrian! he gasped quickly running back out to the car.  
Adrian lay with her back propped up against the side of the mansion, her head was bleeding badly and she was covered in what appeared to be glass. The car was gone. The only things left of it were a pair of dark skid marks leading up to the mansion and stopping short.  
Adrian s blue and white shirt now shown crimson as blood dripped onto her shoulder. Bruce had no choice now. He had to open the batcave manually and take care of Adrian while she still had a pulse.  
He rushed over to the old grandfather clock and twisted its hands up to meet the proper time and then stepped inside the elevator as the clock slid aside. Bruce held Adrian s head up as he pressed his hand onto the biometric scanner and entered the access code. The batcave was on high alert and had special requirements set so that he couldn t access the computer or anything without scanning his fingerprints and entering a code the date his parents died He set Adrian down on the long medical table off to the side of the computers and began cleaning and dressing her head wound. He checked for any other broken bones but as far as he could tell she had only broken her wrist.  
Suddenly the cave went dark and the two were left in total darkness. Bruce could hear the effects of the storm above them as the wind howled fiercely.  
Adrian lay eerily still and Bruce began to get worried. She needed medical attention but at this point there was no going back. He could only hope that she would be alright and hopefully that she wouldn t remember anything of this when she awoke 


	43. Laughter is the Worst Medicine

Brucie Boy part 43

Curiosity approached the generators quietly, walking between the two bigger machines, listening intently for any signs of Joker or Zai. She was beginning to wish she had something warmer on besides her pajamas. White snow peppered her hair as she walked, her bare feet crunching on the thin layer of powder lining the ground.

She paused as she heard something soft, she could barely hear it but it was there. She began to pick up her pace slightly, looking for a place to hide. The sound seemed to be right behind her and yet beside her as well. Something didn't feel… right….

If someone were following her she would have heard them coming… crunching on the snow like she was… but she still couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. It sent shivers down her spine. Finally she'd had enough and she turned around only to see nothing.

Suddenly something tapped on her shoulder and she quickly spun around to face Joker, hanging upside down from his feet.

"Boo." He said laughing as he squeezed his boutonniere into her face.

Curiosity's eyes widened in shock as she backed into one of the generators, attempting to avoid the inevitable by getting as far away as she could.

She began to cough slightly but soon felt as if her lungs might explode if she didn't force the air out of them. She began to giggle slightly, still trying to keep them under control but inside knowing exactly what was going to happen to her. She grimaced for a moment before the urge to laugh became so overpowering that she couldn't hold a straight face for more than a few seconds.

She glared at Joker for a brief moment and attempted to lunge at him but he simply dodged this and hopped to the ground. She laughed hysterically now and took another swing at him. He moved back a few steps and avoided it, setting her off balance. He saw this and quickly shoved her from behind.

She sucked in a breath before crashing through one of the smaller windows on the mansion's side. She covered her face quickly to shield it from the glass, still laughing hysterically.

Her lungs felt as if they were empty now, every ounce of air in her body seemed to be coming out in hoarse laughter. She crashed through the glass pane and fell onto a wide eyed Zai who for some reason was wearing a dress.

"Sadie?" Zai yelled in confusion as she picked herself up.

Curiosity gave out a few barely audible chuckles and passed out. To Zai's relief however Curiosity's face remained expressionless as she fell unconscious. A ghoulish grin didn't stretch across her face like a few of Joker's other victims. She almost looked as if she were asleep, not a peaceful sleep, but asleep none the less. She looked as if she were in pain, as if it was hard to breathe and she was struggling against something. At least that meant she was still alive… although if their situations were reversed she thought she might feel differently. She shook her shoulder and attempted to wake her but she didn't stir. She just laid there with a pained look on her face.

Joker looked down through the broken window to see Zai bewildered at the sight in front of her.

"Joker smirked when he saw this and jumped down from his perch, not even minding the sharp glass crunching beneath his feet.

"I don't think she'll be waking up anytime soon. I gave her a pretty high dosage. I see you're through changing… I was kind of hoping you weren't but that dress looks astounding on you so, I don't mind." He laughed and took a step toward her and placed his hand in her hair. This was making Zai VERY uncomfortable and she pulled away out of his grasp.

This seemed to make him a little angry but his anger subsided when she spoke.

"I thought I told you that you couldn't come in." Zai said hotly.

Joker laughed hysterically.

"Sorry Zai couldn't resist, besides… we wouldn't want to miss our own party!"

"Party?" Zai asked confused.

"Our Christmas party! Oh, and don't worry…" he slung Curiosity over his shoulder. "Haley's coming to." He said as he walked past her out the bathroom door, chuckling darkly.

Zai looked at Curiosity and frowned in thought. Sadie had trusted her and now Joker was about to take her to their little "party". She couldn't just stand there and let something like what happened at the chemical factory happen again. When things were right she was going to have to stop Joker, or risk losing quite possibly her only friend…


	44. Going Out With a Bang

Brucie Boy part 44

Bruce was getting worried now, the generators still hadn't kicked back on and Adrian still hadn't regained consciousness. She was looking really pale from what he could tell from the lights in the batmobile. He would have driven her out of the Batcave were it not for the Batcave's secret entrance being locked into place.

He looked down at his utility belt.

"Well, I suppose there IS one way…" he stated quietly, removing a small pellet of explosives from his utility belt.

He hated to destroy one of the only things keeping his secret life hidden from the world above but Adrian needed serious medical attention… and everyone in Gotham seemed to know about him already.

He threw a few pellets of explosives at the entrance and hopped in the car to take off with Adrian strapped in the backseat.

The sound of the explosion was almost deafening as the ruble from the cave wall clattered to the floor. He waited for the ruble to clear before stomping down on the accelerator. He had to hurry, Joker had surely heard the noise and would be down to investigate in no time.

The tires on the batmobile squealed loudly as he held his foot down on the accelerator, speeding off toward the hospital.

Alfred awoke to the smell of smoke and a loud bang. He quickly covered his head and ears on reflex, only to realize that he wasn't in the kitchen anymore. He looked around himself and realized he was locked in the broom closet… His head felt as he'd been hit by something pretty hard and his eyes still stung a little. He evidently hadn't made it to the sink to wash his eyes out… He rubbed his head as he got to his feet and attempted to open the closet door. It was locked…

Smoke began filtering in from under the door. A faintly sweet smell drifting in with it.

"Great… death by dessert…" he muttered as he kicked at the door, trying to break it down.

It seemed pretty sturdy but after a few more good kicks he heard a CRACK and the door swung open on its hinges, allowing a plume of thick black smoke to pour into the closet with him. His eyes burned even worse than before now… He coughed as the smoke met him with full force and he quickly ran to the oven and switched it off, leaving the burnt death by chocolate dessert to smolder as he left to find some fresh air.

Alfred quickly hid behind the doorway as he saw Joker walk past with a girl following him. They were headed straight for the secret entrance to the batcave!

"The hidden entrance should stall them…" Alfred thought, attempting to reassure himself.

Suddenly the squeal of tires against pavement broke into his thoughts, he watched on in horror as the batmobile raced down the highway leading into Gotham, dark ruble flying from its sides.

"I guess the bat's out of the bag… again…" Alfred said sadly, shaking his head in worry. "Oh Master Bruce, I DO hope you know what you are doing…"

Joker and the girl ran over the hill and out of sight towards the batcave, heading down into the catacombs. A cold blast of wind whipping at Alfred's shoulders as he looked on at the three figures, a look of deep concern and fear on his face.

"I really do…"


	45. Trust

Brucie Boy part 45  
Joker led Zai down into the catacombs, still carrying Curiosity on his right shoulder. Zai watched Curiosity's features as she followed him worriedly.  
Suddenly Joker stopped and Zai nearly ran into him. She was about to ask why he had stopped when she saw it in the darkness. Vague outlines of equipment hung from the cave walls, while sleeping bats hung above them.  
Joker grinned broadly and withdrew a small remote from one of the pockets in his tailcoat and pressed a button. Suddenly the entire cave lit up, shedding light on everything around them and stirring a few of the bats, causing them to reposition themselves and fly off to a different section of the cave.  
"How did you do that?" Zai asked dumbfounded.  
Joker laughed.  
"Brucie boy doesn't have very tight security on his generators. Plus… I wired them to work on remote. Chemistry isn't the only subject I'm good at." He laughed, walking up to a section of the cave riddled with question marks.  
"Must be Nigma's section…" he muttered as he continued on to a section that was a little farther back.  
He grinned as he looked into the face of a giant jack in the box near the entrance of this section. Razor sharp playing cards sat in glass cases on the left wall of the section of the cave along with several vials of his Joker venom and no doubt a few vials of antidote for the venom.  
Zai looked on as Joker sat Curiosity down and began to stroll through the section with wonder, picking up a select few items and finally making his way back to Zai who was now holding Curiosity up.  
Joker gave Zai a suspicious look but said nothing as he led the way out of the cave and back up the hill towards the manor, leaving Zai to carry Curiosity.  
Zai struggled to get up the hill, purposely shaking Curiosity more than necessary, trying to wake her up without Joker noticing. Curiosity merely tipped her head the side however and then let it fall forward once again.  
By the time the two had made it up to the top of the hill Joker was standing there watching Zai with interest.  
"Why did you pick her up?" Joker asked suspiciously.  
Zai gave him an odd look, trying to stall for time by acting confident.  
"Because you dropped her." She stated flatly.  
"And why would you care if I dropped her or not? You could have left her on the floor and then you wouldn't have had to carry her back up the hill. I would have carried her. "  
"Why do you hate her so much?" Zai asked avoiding his question by asking him something else which she immediately regretted when she saw his smile fall from his face.  
"Now who ever said I hated her?" he shot back in a dangerous tone.  
"Well… you tried to dip her in acid, gassed her, and now we're taking her to this "Christmas party" so I'd say that gives me warrant to assume that you hate her."Zai said counting the things off on her fingers and glaring back at him.  
Joker leaned in close to her, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. She could feel his warm breath on her face as he spoke darkly.  
"Do you know what she was going to do to you when she got you back to the chemical factory? Just what exactly do you think she brought you there for? She didn't know I was there. As far as she knew that building had been abandoned for over ten years. In case you haven't noticed… she has a bit of an attachment to knives and she won't hesitate to use them if she has the opportunity."  
"Except she DID hesitate to use them when I escaped with her. I let it slip that I went to Arkham to get her and she took things out on a pillow instead. Besides, you never answered my question. Why do you hate her?"  
Joker growled and glared at Zai and then at the unconscious Curiosity next to her. He turned around and walked toward a large garage near Wayne manor.  
"I don't hate her… she knows something that only I should know, something that I myself want to forget."  
"Your name?" Zai asked, forcing him to hesitate slightly in his tracks.  
"Yes…"  
"You know you don't have to kill everyone who knows something about you. She seemed to like you… until you tried to kill her of course… You could try trusting her."  
This time Joker whirled around and glared fiercely at Zai.  
"And you're the one to talk about trust? The girl who refuses to answer any personal questions? The girl who can't even bare to let me touch her despite the fact that I share personal things with her and bring her everything I can think to give her?" he shouted, for a moment not realizing that he was now choking Zai.  
He let go of her and she gasped for air on the ground for a moment before getting to her feet once more. Joker picked Curiosity up and slung her over his shoulder and kicked the garage door in fervently. Zai rubbed her throat and contemplated running as far as she could but then where could she go? Penguin had destroyed the only place she could ever consider home, Catwoman no doubt hated her, Joker seemed to know everything that happened in this city, Batman, or she supposed it was Bruce Wayne, was still out there somewhere thinking of ways to put all of them back in Arkham, and Sadie still needed her help…  
This in her mind she cautiously walked through the door only to hear a car start. A 2010 Chevy Camaro sat in the garage, Joker behind the wheel. Zai saw that Curiosity was actually strapped in, in the back seat of the car, her head still lolling to the side.  
"Get in." Joker stated flatly.  
Zai hesitated for a moment but then got in the passenger's side door and buckled her seatbelt as Joker stepped on the gas, sending them THROUGH the garage door and onto the roadway, cutting off a man with greasy brown hair and icy blue eyes that she recognized immediately as Dr. Crane, who stared back at them with sadistic pleasure.  
Zai sighed. Could this day possibly manage to get any worse?


	46. Nighty Night

Brucie Boy part 46

Adrian awoke to a dull beeping, her head hurt and it felt as if she'd ran into a brick wall. She rubbed it slightly and withdrew her hand when she found a bandage wrapped around her head.

Oh right… she had… or, more accurately, she had been thrown at twenty miles an hour at a brick wall. She rubbed her head tenderly and saw a vase of flowers next to her bed. She picked them up and held the vase in her hands, smelling the flowers. They were her favorites, white snapdragons. Although a few white lilies stuck out from the sides of the vase. She tapped her chin thinking who knew what her favorite flowers were.

"Read the card…" A voice said from the back of the room.

A tall figure stood in shadow at the back of the room under a broken light.

Adrian gave the figure a somewhat worried stare but then turned her attention to the card. The card read: Die soon little sis… From: Neil.

The beeping on the heart rate monitor increased and she gasped and inched as far from the figure as possible, drawing her legs up toward her chest. Her breathing became rapid as the figure stepped forward into the light.

"Miss me?" Neil asked grinning broadly at her, a bloody knife in his hand.

Adrian's attention fell to the doorway where a red headed nurse lay in a pool of dark blood. The beeping became faster and more erratic now as Neil approached the side of the bed. She attempted to hop over the side of the bed but an IV was attached to her arm and merely fell over on her as she attempted to get away from him. She quickly tossed the equipment off of her and ripped the IV from her veins, causing the machine to beep noisily and flash. She dashed for the door in her white hospital gown, stepping over the dead nurse, whimpering softly. Fresh blood seeped from her arm from the place where the IV had been, leaving little specks of blood on the white tiled floor as she tugged on the handle.

Neil casually approached her as she pulled on it. It was locked. She clumsily fumbled with the lock as Neil grabbed her from behind.

"Now we wouldn't want anyone else to get hurt now would we?" He asked gesturing with his eyes down to the dead nurse.

Adrian's eyes widened and she banged on the door as hard as she could, blood running down her left arm. He grabbed her arms and scowled at her as she continued to struggle against him, kicking both him and the door.

"HELP! Is anyone there? HELP!" she screamed.

"Adrian?" A voice called fearfully from outside the door.

After his close encounter with Joker Dr. Crane had made his way to the hospital to see Adrian. Bruce Wayne had called to tell him that Adrian wouldn't be coming to work anytime soon and that she'd been injured in a car accident. Bruce had told him what room number she was in and had hung up. It seemed as if he were in a rush of some sort and didn't have time to talk so he hadn't bothered to call back for more details.

He neared Adrian's room only to see a crimson pool spilling out from under her door along with furious banging on the door. A voice yelled from inside for help.

"Adrian?" he called worriedly. He began to yank on the door handle but it wouldn't budge. It was locked.

A scream issued from inside and he now began to kick the door in, finally succeeding upon the fourth kick.

The door stopped short, making a sickening thud as it hit the dead nurse, splashing blood onto his shoes.

"Take one more step and I slit her throat." A man on the other side of the room warned, holding a blade to Adrian's neck.

Dr. Crane slid a knife carefully out of his back pocket.

"You must be Neil…" Dr. Crane said giving Adrian a reassuring look.

Neil pressed the blade tighter towards Adrian's jugular, drawing a thin line of blood. Adrian whimpered a little.

"Yes, pleasure to meet your acquaintance but I have other things to deal with…" Neil said glancing menacingly down at Adrian, "Now leave." He ordered giving Crane a fierce look.

"Neil you're sick, you need medicine. Your sister isn't evil; she devotes all her time to helping others at Arkham." Dr. Crane said inching toward Neil, holding the knife firmly in his hand.

"Stay BACK!" Neil shouted, flinging the blade swiftly in Dr. Crane's direction giving Adrian the perfect opportunity to knee him in the groin and race for the door.

Neil cursed and slashed out at Adrian with the knife but stopped short as blood bubbled from his lips. Crane lifted Neil up on the blade in his hand, watching as the man struggled to remove the blade from his chest. Warm blood flowed onto his hand; he actually kind of enjoyed this, seeing the fear in the man's eyes as they turned hollow and empty, feeling the warm blood cooling on his hand as he removed the blade from under Neil's sternum. Watching as his lifeless body fell to the floor in a heap.

Adrian looked on in horror, clinging to Crane's side like a frightened child.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god…" Adrian repeated softly, beginning to hyperventilate.

Crane put his hand down on Adrian's back and rubbed it gently, attempting to sooth her, the crimson liquid staining the back of her gown.

She hugged him tighter and he pulled her away from him slightly, staring into her frightened eyes with a compassionate stare. Leaning in and kissing her gently on the lips. Tears flowed down Adrian's cheeks but she kissed him back passionately, holding him as close to her as possible, feeling his warmth through her hospital gown. Realizing for the first time that all she had on was her hospital gown and a pair of underwear.

This made her a little nervous but Dr. Crane kept kissing her and she relaxed a little, allowing him to lift her onto the bed behind her.

She stared into his crystal blue eyes for a moment before unbuttoning his shirt. He began kissing her once more, trailing his kisses down her neck to the hem of her gown. She gripped his shoulder and kissed him harder, pulling him into her.

Luckily no one was around in the hall to see them at the time and they breathed heavily afterward. Adrian stood up from the small bed and picked up the phone.

"Hello? 911? I'm at Gotham General Hospital my brother broke into my room and attacked me. I'm alright but he killed a nurse and my friend killed him in order to save me." She said as if she were still afraid, "Thank you!"

She turned back to Dr. Crane who stood up and put his pants back on.

"Well that was fun." He said, turning her chin and kissing her gently.

She smiled back at him tenderly.

"Yes it was…" she said softly, running her hand through his soft brown hair.

"Awww… I hate to break up such a beautiful moment but uh… wait a minute. No I don't." Joker smiled from the doorway spraying the two with a purple mist, "Nighty night and twisted dreams…" He laughed as the two fell to the floor unconscious.


	47. Flunkies Get More Action Than I Thought

Brucie Boy part 47

Joker laughed and gestured for Zai to come and help him. She hesitantly walked through the threshold into the room, avoiding the dead nurse, holding back the bile that now welled up in her throat. Suddenly police sirens filled the air and Joker frowned, almost in disgust, picking Dr. Crane up and hauling him over his shoulder.

"Looks like the flunkies are getting more action than I thought." Joker laughed hysterically.

Zai looked down at Adrian silently and then back at Joker who frowned slightly at her. She sighed and lifted Adrian up, using her knees, lifting her onto her shoulder, wobbling under the weight. Joker walked out of the room and down the hallway, gesturing for her to follow him into a nearby elevator that led to the parking garage.

He pressed the button for the lower level and a moment later the doors slid open to reveal the Camaro parked just near the elevator, blocking them from view and blocking any traffic that might happen by them. Joker quickly tossed Dr. Crane in and motioned for Zai to throw Adrian to throw Adrian in. She did but made sure that the woman landed in the seat and not in the floor board.

Joker slammed the door behind himself as he hopped in the driver's seat. Zai made her way around the other side and opened the passenger's side door and sliding in, immediately buckling her seatbelt she didn't like cars…

"It looks like we have a plus one." Joker laughed jerking a white finger in Dr. Crane's direction and laughing feverishly.

He glanced over at Zai who seemed to be lost in thought and who wasn't laughing or smiling in the least. He stopped laughing and frowned and began staring at the roadway, stomping his foot down on the accelerator to get Zai's attention, sending them climbing past a hundred miles an hour. Zai gripped her seat tightly and gave Joker a fearful look.

"You know… I've been really nice to you lately. I even got you a Christmas present. But lately it feels as if you've been giving the cold shoulder." He said, whipping around a van in front of them.

"I'm starting to think that you don't like being my apprentice. You know, not just everyone gets to stay with me. Well… at least not for very long… they're all deadbeats anyway." He chuckled a little at this. "Yet I make you my APPRENTICE and you're still not smiling! You shouldn't be so selfish Zai, after all, it IS the season of giving…" he said, slowing down now and laying a hand on Zai's leg.

Zai immediately flinched away and he scowled and pulled over, slamming the car into park and whipping around to face Zai, shaking her shoulders.

"You are the most IRRITATING PERSON I'VE EVER MET! Give me ONE reason why I shouldn't just kill you? I mean, at least Curiosity let me kiss her!"

"What?" Zai thought, astonished at hearing this. She thought back to Curiosity's joke at the chemical factory.

"Why am I up here anyway? Didn't your mother ever tell you that you're not supposed to kill your girlfriend until AFTER the first date?"

Maybe there WAS a way she could get herself and Sadie out of this, although it was also bound to make Joker VERY angry…

"Did she really want to kiss you? Not all of us sleep around like the flunkies." She said gesturing towards Adrian and Dr. Crane with her head.

"Of course she did! She didn't pull away." He growled angrily.

"Sure," Zai said rolling her eyes. "Why don't we just wake her up and see what REALLY happened." Zai could barely contain herself. She was both keeping herself from laughing AND fighting back intense nerves.

Joker grinned now, shocking Zai and stopping any urge she had to laugh.

"Pretty clever… I suppose that's reason enough…" he said giving her a leering look. "But try that again and it'll be the last thing you ever do…" he said darkly, eyeing her for a moment before turning his attention to the road. His eyes locking with Batman's as Bruce stood in front of the car.

"Let them go Joker." Bruce said warningly.

"Hmm... let me thing about it… NO!" he said laughing and thrusting the car into drive, nearly clipping Bruce in the process.

Bruce dodged out of the way and watched as Joker sped off into the distance. After a moment he held up a small hand held device with a red light blinking furiously as it followed the car through a map of Gotham… straight for Wayne Manor…

He hopped behind the wheel and sped off toward the mansion, all the while knowing he was most likely heading straight into a trap…


	48. The Christmas Party

Brucie Boy part 48

Curiosity awoke to the sound of metal being scraped on metal. She quickly opened her eyes, realizing for the first time that she was in fact still alive… at least for the moment…

Joker grinned at her, sharpening two knives. She attempted to jump back on reflex but she couldn't. She heard something like a gun being cocked in front of her. She looked down at her chest and realized why. There was a black, wide barreled gun with a string tied around the trigger.

The other end of the string wound around the chair and her legs, making it so that if she moved more than a few inches the string would pull tight and fire the gun into her chest.

She sat up straight and glared at Joker as he placed a large and heavy looking silver platter on the table. Zai sat nervously across from her. No gun was placed next to her; however she still didn't move to get up.

Curiosity looked around once more and realized that they were still at Wayne manor however it had been lavishly decorated, making it look like something out of Home Alone, beautiful and DEADLY all at once.

She tried to lift her arms and when she did she realized that they had been tied together and bound to the seat of the chair.

Curiosity sensed movement in the seat next to her and she realized that she wasn't the only "guest" with a gun trained at their heads. Adrian and Dr. Crane sat in their chairs, drowsily, evidently still overcoming the effects of being gassed. She shuttered at the thought of being gassed. She had thought the gas had killed her. Her sides and throat were still sore from her insatiable laughter. Everything inside of her had been screaming for air that she couldn't give it and then everything had gone black.

"I see staying in the car didn't do you much good." Curiosity laughed at Adrian, almost forgetting for a moment that she was in the same predicament.

She scanned the rest of the room quickly and saw that Bruce was nowhere to be found. She turned her attention to Joker, who now seemed to be satisfied with the sharpness of his knives and laid them down next to his place at the table next to Zai.

"Where's Bruce? I would've thought he'd be at the top of YOUR guest this." She asked resentfully.

Joker smiled widely and looked up at a clock on the wall.

"As a matter a fact he should be on his way now…" Joker said as the security monitor on the wall beeped. He immediately pressed ignore and turned around to face the others, pressing play on a nearby CD player which blasted Kidnap the Sandy Claws by Korn.

He then walked out of the room and wheeled something over to the front door from the living room. It looked like an old rustic cannon from World War II. Joker had painted over the side of the cannon in huge letters: BANG!

"There's no way that thing still works…" Curiosity said to herself, watching Joker labouringly drag it over to the door and wait for the sound of footsteps.

At this point the song began ironically singing:

"I say that we take a cannon

Aim it at his door and then

knock three times and when he answers

Sandy Claws will be no more…"

Joker suddenly smiled and touched the fuse with a lighter and covered his ears.

A deafening reverberation bellowed throughout the house, drowning out the sound of the music and shaking dust from the ceiling. Curiosity had to hold onto the table with her teeth to keep from sliding out of her chair farther than the gun would allow without it going off.

"Ok… so maybe it DOES work." She sighed.

Adrian and Crane were now definitely awake and they flinched at the loud noise, causing the guns to cock in warning.

A chained cannon ball flew out of the cannon, smashing through the front door and the section of wall connected to it, barely missing Bruce and smashing into the Batmobile.

Bruce dove out of the way as the balls crashed into the engine of the car, nearly tearing it in two before finally stopping, the entire front of the car bursting into flames.

Joker laughed hysterically from the doorway.

"Looks like you're having a bit of car trouble. Would you like to join us for dinner?" he asked, his laughter raising an octave.

Bruce glared at him and approached as Joker fled inside, undoubtedly baiting him. Bruce walked through the destroyed doorway and quickly made his way around the large cannon, dashing into the dining room to see Joker holding a bundle of strings in his hand.

Slightly confused Bruce gazed around the room at the "party guests" gathered around his dining room table, who stared down the barrels of a guns aimed at their chests and heads.

"Take a SEEEAATTT Batman! Or should I call you Bruce now? We're just about to carve the bird!" Joker said, an evil glint in his eye as he feigned hospitality.

Bruce glared fiercely at Joker and Joker smiled at him and gestured for him to take a seat, his red eyes boring into Batman's. Holding the string slightly higher he repeated:

"Take a seat."

Bruce reluctantly sat down in the chair at the end of the table.

Joker grinned widely and motioned for Zai to fasten him into the chair. She did so but did it slowly and unbeknownst to Joker, slipped Batman her steak knife.

He nodded slightly at her and she grudgingly returned to her seat next to Joker.

"Show me your hands bats." Joker said, eyeing Zai carefully before turning to Bruce.

Bruce held up his bound hands as far as they would go and Joker smiled at Zai and moved to the other end of the table, gesturing for Zai to follow him.

She silently got up and gave Curiosity an apologetic look. Joker frowned at this but handed Zai a knife, keeping another knife for himself.

"Merry Christmas Zai! You get to carve the bird this year." He said smiling and lifting the lid on the silver platter to reveal a rather angry, bound and gagged Penguin.

Zai's eyes widened as Penguin gave her a fearful look and tried to free himself once more.

Joker laughed and bent down to Penguin's level.

"You should know not to cross me Pengi. Things don't go well for people who make me angry or mess with Zai's drawings."

Dr. Crane seemed to be enjoying the show which disturbed both Batman and Adrian a little. Curiosity looked at him disgustedly, knowing just why he was enjoying it.

"Hey Adrian, there's something you should know about your little boyfriend over there. He's a real sadist and I'm pretty sure he has some sort of fetish for fear. I'd keep an eye on him if I were you. He might just get bored and gas you for the hell of it."

Dr. Crane glared at her now, resisting the urge to jump out of his seat and stab her with his silverware. She saw this and smiled at him.

"Go ahead and try it. I guarantee I'll be the one laughing if you do. It's not fair not being able to move is it? Well I'll tell you what! Karma's a BITCH!" Curiosity nearly screamed at him, smiling as his face grew hot with rage.

"SHUT UP!" he said bursting with rage, snapping the rope binding his wrists to his seat, and pounding his wrists onto the table, attracting everyone's attention, including Zai and Joker's.

Batman took this opportunity to slice the ropes on his hands and feet and burst over to a startled Joker and Zai. Zai dropped her knife and backed away from him and Joker swung at him, blade in hand. Bruce dodged and nearly fell on top of a frightened Penguin.

Penguin rolled onto the floor, attempting to get to his feet and hop away however Joker caught him and threw him back onto the table angrily.

"Fine, if no one is going to eat then I guess we could all watch a little television then!" He shouted removing a remote from his pocket and flipping on the huge TV hanging on the wall at his end of the table.

Bruce stared, unable to believe his eyes as millions of people laughed hysterically, falling over in the streets, cars crashing, and buildings burning.

"Aww the holidays eh Brucie boy? Amazing what a little precipitation can do when it's filled with Joker venom isn't it? Cloud seeding is a lot easier than I thought it would be. About twenty four hours the effects of the venom should be permanent and everyone in Gotham will be smiling for the holidays! Including you and your friends here. I however am immune to the chemicals and soon Zai will be to." He laughed manically.


	49. A Curious Hero

Brucie Boy part 49

"So, what's it going to be Brucie boy? Who are you going to save? The millions of innocent civilians throughout Gotham or our little dinner party guests?" Joker said, gesturing to the others around the table with his knife. "By the way, time's running out… for both YOU and them…" Joker laughed hysterically.

"I won't let you hurt them Joker!" Bruce stated angrily, advancing on him despite the blade.

Joker smiled and held the blade to Adrian's neck.

"What do you want Joker?" Bruce asked angrily.

"I want you, Brucie boy, to tell all of Gotham just who you are." Joker laughed, holding the blade closer to Adrian's throat, making her gasp and attempt to pull away slightly.

She watched the gun on the table and wondered for a moment if the gun would shoot Joker instead if she pulled away now. She shifted slightly away from the blade and Joker moved slightly closer to her, still holding the blade at her throat. It was now or never, she jerked back and dove for the floor, causing the gun to go off and startle Joker, the bullet whizzing just past his shoulder into Adrian's left side.

She gasped but managed to make her way to Crane's chair and rip the gun from its holster before falling to the floor, the chair still attached to her now bloodied wrists, crimson staining the floral print of her white hospital gown.

"No!" both Bruce and Dr. Crane shouted at once.

Bruce quickly ran to Adrian's side as Dr. Crane struggled to free himself. Penguin used this distraction to slide over the edge of the table and make his way to the door but before he could get much farther Joker smiled and gassed him.

"Smile Pengi!"

Joker laughed and turned his attention back to Adrian.

"Nice try my dear. I hadn't expected that. Now before ole Brucie boy over here starts fawning all over you, maybe you should explain to him just why you aren't wearing any underwear." Joker grinned.

Bruce looked shocked but then his eyes landed on Dr. Crane and he collected himself once more.

Joker smiled as he looked at Bruce, who now carried Adrian in his arms, having cut her rope with the steak knife Zai had given him.

"As I said before Brucie boy, you're running out of time…"

Bruce looked around the room at the others.

Dr. Crane glared at him.

"Just GO! Get her out of here! I'll handle this!" He said ripping the rope from his wrists, causing them to bleed considerably.

Curiosity looked at Bruce. "He's right Bruce. As much as I hate to say it he's right. GO! If you don't find an antidote for that venom soon it won't matter anyway!"

Bruce nodded solemnly and turned to face Joker.

"You haven't seen the last of me Joker. I swear you're going to pay for this!" He said, rushing a now unconscious Adrian out the front door.

Dr. Crane had finally gotten free of all his bindings and was approaching Joker quickly, grabbing the gun from the table and aiming it squarely at the harlequin.

"NO!" Zai shouted as she shoved Dr. Crane, causing the shot to go wide and nearly hit Curiosity.

"WHAT THE HECK ZAI!" Curiosity shouted from her seat.

Dr. Crane angrily thrust Zai off of him and knocked her backwards, causing her to trip over backwards over Adrian's chair and crack her head loudly against the wall. She lay motionless on the ground. Dr. Crane's eyes filled with angry tears as he pointed the gun shakily at Zai.

"Zai!" Curiosity shouted, pulling at the rope's restraining her wrists.

Zai was the only person in the room that was even half sane that could back her up if one of the men decided to turn on her. She had even begun to consider Zai her… friend…

Finally having enough of trying to tear the ropes off Curiosity raised her wrists up as far as possible and began ripping at the bindings with her teeth. She spat as she chewed through the rest of the rope. The rope tasted horrible… Come to think of it… it tasted a bit like… gas… She smelled her shirt, she smelled like gasoline…

She stared at the flickering flames of the candles on the table. Sweat streaming down her face as adrenaline rushed through her system. She then cast her gaze down to the gun aimed directly at her chest.

She reached out in front of her and balanced precariously, the string almost taught around the trigger of the gun. Her fingers traced the barrel as she reached towards the gun. She couldn't reach any farther. She sighed but then a thought crossed her mind and she stuck her finger in the barrel and lifted the gun up toward her out of the holster. She quickly cut the string with her teeth and held the gun at ready, pointing at Dr. Crane.

"Let her go Crane." Curiosity ordered.

Joker seemed bemused by this and watched in fascination as Curiosity shifted the gun towards Dr. Crane and Dr. Crane glared fiercely at her, slowly lowering his weapon.

"You two are going to regret this. He's only going to come back and try to kill you. No matter what you do for him he's never going to truly care if you live, die, or spend the rest of your lives in Arkham."

"I know." Curiosity said staring directly into his icy blue eyes. "After I get Zai out of here you can do what you want. I won't stop you. Just leave Zai alone."

Joker glared at Curiosity but despite his anger he couldn't help but feel a little curious. What had happened to Haley that, within little more than twenty four hours, would cause her to be willing to stay and plead with someone she truly despised just to protect Zai? Curiosity was a sociopath. She didn't have friends! She felt no remorse for killing anyone. As far as he could tell when he had first met her, she cared for no one except herself. The only people she could have possibly cared about were the ones who possessed something of value to her. So… why? Why would she willingly risk her life to save Zai when she could just as easily run for the door?

Dr. Crane lowered the gun slightly and scoffed.

"Fine, take her! See if I care. Just leave me and the clown alone…" he said turning to glare at Joker who was now smiling sadistically, staring him directly in the eyes, as if daring him to make a move.

Curiosity side stepped past Dr. Crane as he watched her from the corner of his eye. She lifted Zai onto her shoulder and slowly made her way behind Dr. Crane and out the door, slamming it closed as she left.

Dr. Crane raised his gun at Joker once more and smiled.

"I'm going to enjoy this… any last words clown?" he asked, cocking the gun.

Joker grinned and grabbed the candle from the table.

"Yeah, everything burns…" He grinned, throwing the candle at a shocked Dr. Crane.

Crane fired as Joker ducked, the bullet just grazing his shoulder.

Dr. Crane shrieked in pain as he ran from the room into the snow, burying his face in it. Suddenly he began to feel an odd sensation in his stomach and the corners of his mouth began to twitch. He laughed, quietly at first but then it steadily grew louder, his face glowing red both from his burnt flesh and from laughing so much.

Joker walked over to him and smiled down on him.

"See you around… Doc." He laughed feverishly and began walking away out of sight.

Curiosity had something of his… and he would stop at nothing to get it back…


	50. Pregnant!

Brucie Boy part 50

When everyone had left Alfred stood in the dining room, he had returned to the batcave to keep an eye on things only to find that it had been ransacked. He looked around at the horrifying scene around him. Penguin lay wide eyed and grinning on the floor, his feet and wrists bound together.

"Oh dear!"

Alfred quickly rushed over to him and felt his pulse. His pulse fluttered erratically but it was there none the less. Alfred sighed and pulled a small vile from his back pocket. Bruce had insisted that he keep it with him in case he was ever gassed again. He shuddered at the thought of it but quickly spilled the contents of the vile into Penguin's mouth, fighting his stiff jaw muscles to open his mouth wide enough for Penguin the swallow it.

Penguin convulsed slightly as the bitter liquid filled his mouth. He sputtered for a moment and then drew in several deep breaths, coughing harshly before the eerie smile fell from his lips and left him looking pale and weary. His eyes soon closed and Alfred could hear his breath slowly returning to normal and come in and out in slowly, his chest heaving in sleep.

Alfred sighed and listened, now hearing something he hadn't before. Soft laughter echoed from outside the front door. He quickly raced to the doorway and looked out in disbelief.

A man lay on the front lawn. His face beat red with both laughter and burns. His eyes were wild with fear.

Alfred ran out to the man who now sounded hoarse with laughter. He held him in his arms and tried to comfort him although he was all out of antidote and this seemed to be a different type of chemical for the man's face began to look pale and ashen, even putting the white snow to shame…

"Wait a minute…" Alfred looked at the snow and realized that it had a slight green tint to it. He looked around him and saw the flames from a car accident down the road and then he heard it… laughter… Horrendous laughter echoed from all around him.

Alfred gazed in horror as flashbacks of Vietnam filled his senses. The smell of burning flesh and blood, the heat of flames, and the sound of screaming citizens…

He shook his head, bringing him back to reality and lifting the man into a sitting position and wrapping his jacket around him as he dialed 911. Not minding the bitter cold night air as he gave the paramedics their location and waited for them to arrive. The man had stopped laughing now and this scared Alfred more than his shrill tortured laughter. He quickly set the man down and lifted his eye lids and passed his finger back and forth in front of the man's eye. He was unresponsive…

"Crap!" Alfred shouted, shaking the man slightly. "Come on! Don't you DARE die on me!"

The man stirred slightly and gave out a few short chuckles before falling back into unconsciousness as the ambulance arrived.

The paramedics rushed over to them and quickly ran a flashlight across the man's eyes.

"He's still responsive! Quick! Load him up!"

The other man obliged quickly, strapping him in and loading him into the back, not bothering to stop and ask Alfred any questions. They were busy tonight.

"Oh Bruce… Do hurry!" Alfred said to the night's sky.

Dr. Crane awoke to the sound of crazed laughter echoing from down the hallway, a dull beeping accompanying it.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to see more darkness. He reached his hand up to his face and felt it. Gauze surrounded his features. Despite his better judgment he began peeling the bandages back and stood up to look around.

A small mirror lay on a table next to him and he picked it up hesitantly, taking a look at his scarred face.

The nurse walked in to see him staring at his face in the mirror.

"Oh dear." She mumbled worriedly, quickly walking over and taking the mirror from his hand.

"You weren't supposed to see anything yet… I'm really sorry… the skin grafts could only do so much…" Dr. Crane looked at her numbly and lay back down, thinking. An angry red scar ran down the length of his right cheek, his lips burned into a gruesome permanent smile.

Joker had gotten what he wanted… he would always be smiling… but if he could help it, he'd make sure that clown never smiled again…

He stared straight ahead, not even minding the woman standing next to him. He turned his head as the nurse turned the light off and closed the door, staring out the window at the night sky. Looking out at the snow melting on the window sill.

Adrian looked out the window as she waited for nurse Mandy to come back and give her some pain medication. She'd punctured a lung but they'd been able to repair it and now she was extremely sore. She took a wavering breath and let it out. She hoped Crane was alright…

Finally nurse Mandy came in and gave her a cup with two small pills in it. Adrian quickly swallowed them but then looked up at the nurse.

"Shouldn't I be on morphine or something? I mean… I just got out of surgery an hour ago…"

"Sorry but we can't give woman in your condition morphine. It's bad for the baby."

"WHAT?" Adrian shrieked, spraying water everywhere.

"You didn't know?" the nurse asked looking at her charts.

"Oh… sorry. We just got some new equipment from Wayne industries. It's supposed to be able to tell us within forty eight hours of conception. We got the results last hour with your blood results but I guess you were in surgery at that point. Well… Congratulations anyway!" the nurse said quickly running out of the room as Adrian chucked a mirror at her and broke it on the door as it slammed.

"STUPID FUCKING NURSES! Pregnant… I can't believe I'm pregnant…" she cried softly as she turned to stare out the window once more. "How am I supposed to tell Crane…?"


	51. A Promise

Brucie Boy part 51

Curiosity half ran, half dragged Zai behind her. Zai was beginning to get really heavy and she still hadn't woken up yet. Curiosity sighed.

"Déjà vu…" she muttered as her ears suddenly perked up at the sound of footsteps.

She paused and pulled Zai over into a dumpster with her, closing the lid on top of them, sticking her hand in something orange and gooey… macaroni…

"With a side of karma…" she sighed as she listened carefully for anyone who might be happening by… or following them…

Silence… something was wrong… Gotham was never this quiet. She listened harder, pressing her ear against the top of the dumpster, narrowly avoiding sticking her ear in the macaroni. Still… silence?

Curiosity sat down next to Zai and shook her gently. Zai waved her hands away and rolled over but then jumped back in surprise, startling even Curiosity.

"What's wrong?" Curiosity whispered to Zai.

Zai held her mouth as if she felt she was going to puke and swiveled her head in Curiosity's direction. Curiosity's eyes widened and she quickly hopped over to the other side of the dumpster, narrowly avoiding Zai as she heaved into the corner.

Curiosity raised an eyebrow and looked behind her. Then she rolled her eyes.

"That explains it." She said matter-of-factly. "He smells a bit more than before doesn't he?"

Zai didn't make an attempt to respond and merely heaved some more until she felt she was finally through.

"How can you be so callous about that? I mean, you're touching him and everything!" Zai asked exasperated, feeling another wave of nausea rising at the back of her throat.

"Yeah, I killed him to. What's the big deal? You've killed someone before haven't you? I mean, what do you expect? He's been dead quite a while. He's going to stink."

"No I haven't and that still doesn't explain how you can be so callous about it!" Zai almost shouted, feeling a little better now but still gagging at the taste of vomit in her mouth.

"You've never killed anyone?" Curiosity asked doubtfully as if she were asking Zai whether or not she had had her first kiss or not.

"No! In case you haven't noticed, normal people don't kill other people."

"Right… well, I didn't pick you for the normal type since you were locked up in Arkham and Joker seems to have an unhealthy obsession with you. Normality is highly overrated anyway. Next chance we get to have some real fun I'll take you out for a night on the town and let you experience it for yourself."

"There is something seriously wrong with you. Do you know that?" Zai said, standing up slightly to peep out from under the lid.

"Probably several things but that's not the point. You're going to have to kill someone someday. You're going to be put into a situation where you have no other option. It may be crazy but that's the world we live in. Just what would you do if Joker decided he didn't want you around anymore eh? Do you think he's just going to let you go? No" she took her knife out of her bra and held it to Zai's neck to prove her point. "He's going to try and kill you. He tried to do it to me and he's going to do it to you someday. If you hesitate he's going to kill you." Curiosity let the knife drop down to her side, wrapping her arm around Zai's shoulders.

"The first time is always the hardest, letting go of that last shred of morality but over time it'll get easier. Things won't be as painful. Who knows? You may even start to enjoy it. "

Zai turned away and attempted to change the subject.

"Why are we in here anyway? There's no one out there."

Curiosity let the subject drop for now and peeked out from under the lid suspiciously.

"Listen, hold your breath." She whispered.

Zai gave her an obscure look but did as she was told. Curiosity listened hard and then a frightened look came over her face and she put her finger to her lips, casting her eyes upward as if to tell Zai to look as well.

"What?" Zai asked confused.

Curiosity's eyes went wide and she quickly clamped a hand around Zai's mouth, waiting nervously. Soon Zai heard it to. Someone was breathing steadily on top of the dumpster…

Zai almost whimpered as the figure adjusted their footing and sat down, draping their legs down over the lid and swinging them gently.

"I know you're in there…" a woman's voice almost purred.

Curiosity quickly mouthed for Zai to hide and Zai quickly complied, pulling something like a soft old cardboard box over her. Curiosity looked around for something to hide under but she could only find one thing… She sighed and quickly hid under it, mumbling to herself about how much she hated karma.

Suddenly the top of the dumpster flew up, bathing the area in the first few rays of dawn.

Catwoman stood gazing down into the dumpster, squinting in the darkness. Nothing stirred. She looked down at the dead man in the dumpster gagging at the smell and then over to the rather soggy cardboard box, lifting it up.

Zai quickly jumped at Catwoman, the box still clinging to her shoulder. Catwoman sneered and took a step back, sending Zai down into the asphalt and bounding up again to face her.

Catwoman took out her whip and purred.

"I suppose you know why I'm here then… You lied to me…" she said, circling Zai like a cat eyeing its prey before a meal. "Never thought you'd be THAT stupid. Eh, I don't work well with partners anyway. They always get in the way." She said cracking her whip at Zai, sending her backwards.

Zai regained her footing and backed up once more as another snap hit the ground in front of her. She stared at the clearly angry Catwoman in front of her.

Catwoman gave Zai a patronizing look before raising her whip to strike Zai for the final time. Zai rolled along the wall, avoiding the blow. Curiosity watched for a moment before getting to her feet and stepping lightly behind the woman with the whip, holding her knife to the woman's neck.

"You know… I was beginning to have a conversation with Zai here about this sort of thing. Maybe this will be a good lesson for her."

Catwoman went absolutely still and cast her eyes up at Curiosity who grinned widely, showing all of her sharp teeth.

"Miss me?"

"But… but… you're DEAD!" It was all over the news! They showed pictures!

"Hmmm… yeah, amazing what a little time in the morgue can do for you eh?" She said gesturing to her face, grinning even wider as she watched Catwoman's pupils dilate in fear.

Zai pressed her back firmly against the brick wall behind her. She was beginning to hyperventilate.

"You see Zai if they get the chance they'll kill you. It's a dog eat dog world. Kill or be killed. Start doing what YOU want to do. Don't just follow others. Killing can give you one thing." Catwoman's eyes widened in shock as Curiosity slit the blade quickly across her throat, spraying blood all over Zai's new outfit. "The satisfaction of knowing that whatever happens, no matter whom you're up against, you always have a way out."

Curiosity smiled slightly and turned around to face the alleyway once more but still looking at Zai, wiping the blood stained blade on her pants leg.

"Come on. We have to get going. You may be able to kill anyone you want but they also have the same option so you want to have the upper hand. Don't let them catch you off guard." She said shifting her eyes back to the alleyway only to see Joker standing in front of her.

"Good advice. You should take it sometime." He laughed.

Curiosity smiled and went to disembowel him but he jumped back, giving her the chance to kick him directly in the crotch.

"So should you." She said looking down at him as he squeezed his thighs together.

She sent a powerful kick into his chest, knocking him over backwards and handed Zai her knife.

"Time to choose Zai, him or me. It's only a matter of time until he turns on you anyway."

Joker looked up at the two curiously as if he were enjoying the show despite his role in it. He watched Zai with the knife in her hand, weighing it carefully. She seemed nervous and Joker tilted his head to the side a little, pondering on this.

How had Curiosity influenced Zai so much that she would actually consider killing him when he could barely convince her to trust him? After a long moment Zai looked up at Curiosity, dropping the knife to her side but not letting go of it.

Curiosity frowned and Joker stood up.

"Zai, if you don't kill him he's going to kill me. You promised you wouldn't let that happen remember?" she whispered to Zai as Joker approached them.

"I know…" Zai said, stabbing Curiosity in the stomach as she reached for the knife in her hand. "And I'm keeping that promise." She said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Curiosity gasped in shock and she looked down at the bloodied blade stuck into her abdomen before glancing up to look at Zai. Zai quickly pulled the blade out, sending her to her knees, blood staining the white lambs on her sky blue pajamas.

Curiosity looked over at Joker and then back at Zai and nodded solemnly before collapsing on the cold asphalt.

Zai barely noticed Joker as he put his arm around her, hot tears streaming down her ghost white cheeks.

Suddenly a set of bright lights shone over the two and Ellen Yin stepped out of a Gotham P.D. squad car.

"Freeze! Hands in the air!" she screamed at the two, aiming her gun at them.

Joker grinned and put his hands in the air mockingly, dropping a canister of Joker gas in front of Yin.

"Oops!" He laughed as he pulled Zai into him and took off with her, Detective Yin leaping into her car to avoid breathing the deadly gas.

When the gas cleared both Joker and Zai were gone and for the first time Detective Yin saw Curiosity lying in a crumpled heap in the middle of the alleyway, a pool of her own blood widening around her.

Detective Yin quickly got out of the car and called for backup, attempting to stop the bleeding as best she could with her red jacket.

"Come on…" she said frustrated.

Curiosity opened her eyes slightly but they seemed cloudy and she was losing a lot of blood. At this rate if she didn't get medical attention soon she was going to bleed to death. Lucky for them an ambulance had just left from Wayne manor and was on its way. Their patient was currently stable and things were looking good.

Detective Yin looked into the face of the girl once more. She'd seen her somewhere… but where?


	52. We Can Still Win This We Have To

Brucie Boy part 52

Bruce rushed to the alleyway, breathing hard and quickly changed into his street clothes, removing his suit and placing it in a nearby dumpster, not bothering to fix his tie as he cradled Adrian in his arms. She was losing quite a bit of blood and she was beginning to look pale. He ran from the alleyway, making his way to the intersection of Elm and Jackson Street and dialed 911.

"Hello? 911? Yes, I'm here at the intersection of Elm and Jackson and my friend Adrian has been shot, she's losing a lot of blood! I'm putting pressure on the wound but she needs to get to a hospital quick! No, no I'm fine, just get down her now!" He yelled, hanging up the phone to cradle Adrian's head in the crook of his arm.

He looked into her pale face and ran a hand through her hair, brushing it around her ear. She really was beautiful; she would look almost peaceful were it not for the gaping wound in her chest. She seemed to be having difficulty breathing, it was a good thing she was unconscious otherwise the increased amount of adrenaline in her system would make her breathing even more ragged and labored, she was in enough pain already…

After a few minutes, which seemed like hours, had passed an ambulance arrived, its lights brilliant in the darkness, casting dark shadows all around them in a colorful display.

Two paramedics quickly rushed over to them and took Adrian's pulse. It was weak…

"What happened to her?" The first paramedic asked, his eyes shining brightly in the dancing light.

"Joker." Bruce said shortly.

The paramedic nodded solemnly as if this answered everything.

"Come on! Help me get her on the stretcher! She has a deflated lung and possible internal bleeding!" The man called to the other paramedic who was now prepping the stretcher.

"I know! We have another call coming from Wayne manor as well! A man was found outside laughing hysterically, his face is burned really badly." Bruce's eyes widened.

"Crane…" Bruce said worriedly.

"Excuse me? Do you know anything about this Mr. Wayne?"

"He's her… boyfriend." He said in shock. "He was trying to hold Joker off while I got Adrian to a hospital."

"GREAT!" the second paramedic practically screamed. "Just GREAT!" he said grabbing his radio.

"Hello? Yeah, we're going to need back up. There's been a shooting at Wayne manor! Joker is thought to be involved and a man was just found who is laughing hysterically with half his face burned off!"

He slammed the radio back into place and helped the other paramedic load Adrian onto the stretcher, dressing her wounds quickly when she was secure.

"Ok now Mr. Wayne we're going to need… Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce took off down the alleyway he had hidden his suit in and quickly changed back into it and headed back to Wayne manor, running from rooftop to rooftop as quickly as his legs would carry him.

When he reached the mansion he swung down and quickly scanned the area for any sign of Joker, Curiosity, Zai, or Alfred. His eyes immediately fell to Alfred who stood with his back to him facing the moonlit sky.

Bruce put a hand on his shoulder and Alfred glanced at him before turning to look back at the skyline.

"Joker got away." He said numbly as if he were in disbelief or lost in thought. "Penguin is out cold in the dining room. I gave him the antidote you gave me and he's breathing fine now. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the man I found out here… someone set him on fire and when I found him he was laughing hysterically." Alfred said solemnly, staring straight ahead at the dimly lit streets, the first rays of dawn peeking just over the horizon, bright stars still hanging in the dark velvet sky.

"People are dying Bruce." Alfred said, turning to face Bruce, staring into his blue eyes. "And I couldn't help but imagine you in his place… That psychotic clown has something worse in store for you however. He wants to destroy Gotham, send it to its knees and have it tear itself apart in front of you. He thinks he's the god in this city that he has the final say over who lives and who dies here and he wants to prove that to you. He wants to show you just how powerless this city is against him and how helpless you are to stop him. He thinks he's won. I say we prove him wrong. We can still win this. We can still save Gotham from this mad man Bruce… we have to…"

Bruce nodded and the two headed for the Batcave. Joker had smashed several cases of things, destroyed equipment, and scattered everything around the cave in disarray. Lucky for Bruce the computer seemed relatively unscathed. Joker had taken several things as well. Nearly the entire archive of Joker's weaponry and chemicals had been cleared out of destroyed.

Alfred ran a gloved hand along the cases on the wall, the smashed remains of the Joker venom and antidote sticking to his glove. One vile lay all the way at the back and Alfred held it carefully in his hands.

Bruce took it from him and headed back to his computer, placing a small sample of the antidote on a slide and sending it through the molecular scanner. When the scanner finished reading the ingredients, Bruce printed them out and red them carefully. He then pressed a few more keys and a new screen came up. There were only two places in Gotham that those chemicals had ever been used… Wayne Industries and Ace Chemical Factory…


	53. To Hell and Back

Brucie Boy part 53

Curiosity opened her eyes blearily to find herself in an ambulance lying next to a woman in a black t-shirt. She looked around; a man lay on a stretcher next to her, bandages wrapped tightly around his face. She turned her gaze lazily back to the woman next to her.

"Glad to see that you're awake. You lost a lot of blood. They're going to get you fixed up in no time. You're going to be just fine." The woman said smiling at her.

Curiosity gave her an odd look and then rolled her eyes.

"How do you know? You're GPD not a doctor."

"How did you…?" She started to ask.

"Who else would be willing to stay with me and come to the hospital in the middle of the night? Plus you're not wearing the hospital garb and you look vaguely familiar. Weren't you partners with… what's his name…? Clayface?"

"Ethan Bennett." She stated angrily.

"Whatever…" Curiosity said sleepily, "What did they give me anyway? I'm really…" Suddenly her monitor squawked noisily as they reached the hospital. She fell back on her pillow, her face ghoulishly white.

The paramedics jumped from the vehicle as quickly as they could, rushing her up to the hospital doors, shoving people aside.

"Quick! Book an OR! She's bleeding out!" A paramedic cried.

Curiosity watched as the ceiling tile blurred slightly and everything seemed quiet down, even the dull beating in her chest was soon silenced. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. She felt powerless as the men placed a mask over her mouth and nose and held her head as they moved her onto a white table next to a variety of surgical instruments.

"I guess if you live by the sword you really do die by the sword." She thought and almost laughed. "How ironic, a bible verse as one of her last thoughts. Joker had one thing right. Life was a joke."

After a moment everything was consumed in darkness. She felt as if she were falling, she wondered briefly if she were actually dying or if it were actually the drugs. Then everything suddenly stopped, her chest throbbed as she struggled to breathe, it was as if she'd hit a brick wall and all the air had rushed out of her. She opened her eyes slowly.

Hazy outlines of a burning building formed, orange flames lapped at the doors and windows. Silent screams echoed from inside as a man and woman pleaded and cursed at her from inside, kicking at the doors and windows, no sound dropping from their dumb mouths.

A younger version of herself stared back at her from the reflection in the windows, an apathetic stare met hers. Her hair waved gently in the breeze, a soft golden brown. Her lips relaxed over normal white teeth. She turned away, tears spilling over her lashes, whether it was just the memory or herself crying she didn't know. Her feet seemed to move by themselves as she walked away from the burning building.

This was the night she had killed her foster family. The night she'd lost her innocence and forgotten her name…

Her heart sank to the floor; she was in hell… she had to be… she now found herself in a small town, her hair a fiery red. Indistinguishable voices murmured all around her as she was lead down to a small room labeled: Principal's office. A woman with graying hair sat behind a desk with a worried expression on her face and gestured for her to sit and she did. A skinny blonde sat next to her and spoke silently, showing her a police badge. The blonde started explaining something to the woman behind the desk and she thrust her chair back in outrage to something the woman had said. The blonde looked up at her and spoke slowly and began approaching her. She jumped back and bolted from the room, leaving the two behind her.

She ran down the hall and out the door. A voice finally came to her.

"Sadie? Sadie? Wake up! You're having a nightmare!" A voice called at her, jarring her awake.

Curiosity looked around wildly until her eyes found a woman with long black hair that was pulled back in a messy ponytail. She immediately calmed down and realized that she was in fact alive. She touched her arm to make sure she was actually real and sighed.

She smirked slightly, a few sharp teeth sliding past her lips.

"I'm alive…" she said to herself.

"No thanks to Joker and that girl. You were officially dead for three minutes."

Curiosity nodded solemnly and turned her attention to the room.

She was in a hospital room with faded almost baby blue wallpaper.

"Who's the Joker? And why'd you call me Sadie? My name's Haley." She said innocently.

"Who's the Joker? Are you feeling all right Sadie?" the woman asked giving her a worried look.

"Yes, and I already told you my name isn't Sadie. It's Haley." She said.

"Really… so it's just a coincidence that both you and Sadie Curio have sharp teeth, the same facial structure, and are on bad terms with the Joker?" Detective Yin said slyly.

Curiosity gave her a genuinely confused look.

"Who's Sadie Curio? And again, who's Joker?" She asked

"You're Sadie Curio and this amnesia act isn't working so drop it." The woman said simply, appearing to get annoyed with her.

"I told you. I'm not Sadie Curio. My name is Haley. Haley Riler. Where's my dad… oh." She said, remembering everything now. She looked up at the detective the innocence in her eyes gone.

"Sorry, I'm not feeling very well. What did they give me?" She asked rhetorically as she looked at the IV bag above her head. She nearly puked when she saw that there was an IV in her arm.

"Oh shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" She screamed pulling the IV out of her arm, nearly hyperventilating in the process.

The woman tried to stop her but only recoiled when she received a fist in the eye.

"What's wrong?" The woman asked fearfully.

"I can't have morphine… can't have it…" she screamed almost incomprehensively.

"What do you mean you can't have morphine?" the woman asked in a panic.

"I CAN'T HAVE MORPHINE! I'm highly allergic!" She gasped.

"Crap!" Detective Yin screamed to herself, nearly pulling her hair out. She reached for the call button and slammed the emergency button down hard.

After about a minute three doctors rushed into the room and began berating her with questions as they scooped Curiosity onto a gurney. Curiosity grabbed her throat as if she couldn't breathe when they arrived in the emergency room.

"We have to trake her! Get a tube!" When the two nurses left the room and the doctor turned to watch them leave Curiosity quickly grabbed a scalpel off of the cart next to her and raked it across the man's neck.

The man gasped and clutched at his throat in shock and Curiosity wiped the blade off on her hospital gown.

"Much better than cable." She mused, retrieving several surgical instruments from the cart and making her way down the hall, stopping to smile widely at a security camera, curtseying in her bloody gown as she pressed the elevator button.

"Sorry Brucie boy… couldn't resist. Just so you I'm feeling much better though." She said to the camera as the doors shut, blowing a kiss to it.

She was one floor away from the exit and she pressed stop, climbing on top of the elevator through the ceiling tiles. She groaned in pain as she pulled herself over the top and she puked over the side of the elevator. She walked over to the doors and began prying them open with her fingers. She gasped as she finally got them to slide open for her. She stepped out, wiping the sweat from her brow and heading for the stairs.

She stopped in her tracks as she passed room 138. Adrian sat in a hospital bed gazing pensively out the window. She rolled her eyes, kind of ironic… she was in room 138 of a hospital supposedly getting better and now Adrian was in room 138 of a hospital supposedly getting better. She laughed and began walking away.

"See you later Adrian. Got places to be, people to kill…" She laughed as Adrian looked at her fearfully.

"Well…" she stopped, rubbing her chin in thought. "Maybe I can spare a FEW minutes. I mean, what are friends for?" She chuckled darkly as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her and locking it.

Adrian plastered herself up against the headboard of the bed as Curiosity withdrew a scalpel from the shallow pockets in her gown. Adrian reached for her remote with her emergency button on it but Curiosity was too quick for her and severed the cord to it and handed her the rest of the device.

"You wanted this?" she asked.

Adrian eyed the door worriedly, expecting Jonathan to burst in and save her again.

"Now… why don't you say we play a little game…? Ever played doctor? That's one of my favorites…" Curiosity said circling the bed and picking up the chart from the bedside table. "Let's see what your chart says today… sounds familiar doesn't it? Hmmm… you're in love with a psychopath, you have a psychopathic brother, you see to be suffering from psychosis because you honestly think someone's going to come through that door and save you, and you're… pregnant?" Curiosity stopped and read the chart over again.

She frowned. "Well, I guess a psychopathic boyfriend is better than no boyfriend and he's probably the best you can get." She said, emphasizing the YOU in insult.

She put the clipboard down and glanced at the clock. Sirens wailed in the distance.

"Since I'm running short on time and your little boyfriend is probably going to kill you any way when you tell him about your little bundle of joy. Tell him I said hello and congratulations I hope he's pleased with himself because if you do manage to have that baby you'll give birth to an orphan." She laughed hysterically as she taunted Adrian with the scalpel once more, pressing it to her cheek and then making her way to the window.

She dropped onto the windowsill below and lifted herself down and over the ledge onto the pavement, running towards "her house" near the woods.

Unfortunately, she didn't get far. Detective Yin stood outside behind her squad car door, holding a radio in her hand.

"Hands in the air!" she shouted.

Curiosity smirked. Did this woman really think she could stop her?

She ran towards the woman with her scalpel in hand but narrowly missed the woman's throat.

A man kicked her legs out from under her from behind and began handcuffing her. She bit down hard on his arm but only received a mouth full of rubber. She spat.

Who was this guy? He hoisted her up and into the squad car next to Detective Yin.

"Thanks Ethan…" She said detective Yin stated, seemingly in shock.

He nodded slightly and turned around.

"Don't mention it Yin." He said walking away solemnly.


	54. Hollow

Brucie Boy part 54

Joker ran with Zai under his arm, the wind howling at their backs. Zai dragged her feet slightly as if she were in a daze and Joker struggled to get her to keep up.

Zai felt as if she were in a fog, nothing was real, nothing mattered, she felt… nothing… It was eerie… how she could feel nothing at all even after killing quite possibly her best friend…

She glanced up slightly to see that Joker had his arm around her and she flinched away slightly but he just held her tighter.

"You know Zai; you almost had me convinced that this day wouldn't come. That you somehow became friends with Haley and had changed your mind about our little agreement. But now I see you only wanted to kill her yourself. The only thing I can't seem to figure out is why you're crying." He said, wiping a tear from her cheek as she flinched away once again.

"Don't touch me." She stated angrily.

Joker put his hand down after a moment and muttered something to himself that she couldn't make out.

"Come on. The night's running out and if we don't hurry you're going to laugh yourself to death. If you're going to laugh I want it to be because you're happy not because you're forced to." He said giving her a pat on the back and walking forward.

Zai felt as if she were going to be ill now. Curiosity was right. The first time probably was the hardest because she couldn't imagine any worse feeling than this. Why Curiosity enjoyed it Zai had no idea. Maybe after killing so many times she'd grown numb to the pain. However it wasn't the sadness of losing her best friend that was the worst, it was the sheer emptiness. It felt as if she were hollow. She walked and talked but she was the one who had died in that alleyway. She laughed and wondered briefly if Joker felt like this, cold and empty with nothing left to lose.

Joker almost stopped in his tracks when he heard Zai laugh but resisted. Had she actually just laughed? There was no way the chemicals were affecting her yet. She wouldn't start to have a reaction until a few hours later… Only people who had ingested the poisoned snow would begin to have a reaction… So why was she laughing…?

Then it hit him. She'd just killed someone for the first time. She was laughing at the irony of things… just like he had… By dying Curiosity had done the one thing he hadn't been able to do. She made Zai see things the way they truly were… She finally got the joke…

Both Zai and Joker were silent the rest of the trip, lost in their own thoughts. Zai finally looked up at the grey sky and saw the looming form of Ace Chemical Factory rising up over their heads, the cracked glass windows seeming to hang open in a permanent silent scream as she stared into their foggy glass eyes. The floorboards creaked beneath her weight as she stepped through the doorway behind Joker.

It felt more like she were being taken to the gallows than anything else. She looked at the huge chemical vats above her and remembered lowering Sadie into the chemicals below, the smell of rotten eggs hanging in the air still seemed to linger… no it wasn't just lingering here. It WAS here. They were bathed in an eerie green light as the two stepped into the room with the vats.

"This was a nightmare… it had to be…" Zai thought as they approached the tanks.

Curiosity's words suddenly echoed through her mind like a broken record.

"Just what would you do if Joker decided he didn't want you around anymore eh? Do you think he's just going to let you go? No, he's going to try and kill you. He tried to do it to me and he's going to do it to you someday…"

Zai stopped and looked up at Joker who stared back at her, his eyes neither malicious nor sympathetic. Her chest tightened and bitter adrenaline filled the back of her skull, paralyzing her with fear. He was going to dunk her in chemicals… just like in her nightmares.

"We're running out of time Zai. Once I lower you into those chemicals you'll be immune to the effects of the venom in the snow outside. Once the snow begins to melt the venom will poison Gotham's water supply and everyone will die laughing.

"No…" Zai said backing away slowly.

"What's wrong? You had to know this was going to happen. You didn't think I'd let you laugh to death with the rest of Gotham did you?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She flinched out of his grip and he grasped her firmer and pulled her around to look at him. His eyes red eyes seemed to glow in the eerie green light.

"You're my apprentice. You should look like it." He said calmly, shoving her in front of him up the stairs.

Zai glanced at the bubbling green chemicals below her and whirled on Joker.

"I'm starting to think I made the wrong choice." She stated, tears forming on her lashes as she pushed past a stunned Joker her head down as she ran.

Joker whirled around after recovering from the shock and grabbed the shoulder of her dress. Zai quickly jerked away from him, causing the dress to rip at the seams and leave the shoulder torn.

Zai quickly pushed the door open to the chemical factory and rushed out into the cold weather, a cold blast of wind hitting her full force but she didn't seem to notice, she couldn't feel anything right now, only the hot tears rolling down her cheeks and the empty sadness that threatened to swallow her whole.

She collapsed after about three blocks and began to sob, her back next to a set of televisions that were set to the news channel. Squawking about the current crisis in Gotham. She gripped her shoulders as her body shook from both the cold and her sobs. She spun around and kicked the glass in front of the televisions, shattering it and setting off the alarm. No one seemed to care however. No one was around to hear it but her.

She picked up one of the shards of glass and smiled teary eyed at it, laughing slightly as she threw her head back against one of the TVs. There was no one around, no one around to stop her from doing the one thing she had wanted to do since the day she'd broke into that gun store… the day all of this started… the day she met Joker…

She held the glass to her wrist, hot tears mixing with the white snow on her wrist as she braced herself for the pain.

Suddenly the TVs behind her began covering a news story and she listened, dropping the glass shard to her side but still keeping it within her reach.

"Local patient Sadie Curio, seen here, who was previously pronounced dead at Arkham asylum has now been arrested at Gotham General Hospital after brutally murdering a doctor at the hospital. Police Detective Ellen Yin has now taken her into custody and says that the girl was admitted into the hospital after being stabbed by a young girl and Joker. The girl is thought to be either Joker's accomplice or hostage and is wanted for attempted murder. If either Joker or a girl of about 5' 5" stature with brown hair and two different colored eyes, purple and green is seen please contact the Gotham City Police department and leave your name and whereabouts…"

Zai almost laughed. Sadie was alive? She got up and ran down to the Gotham city police station and peered in the window as she saw Sadie being hauled into a nearby cell. Things weren't over yet...


	55. Hospital Havoc

Brucie Boy part 55

Crane heard footsteps down the hallway and saw his nurse pacing up and down the hall.

"Wonder what that's about…" he muttered jadedly.

Suddenly the nurse came into his room with a huge Barbie like smile on her face.

"You're Dr. Crane right?" she asked rhetorically, grabbing his chart and reading it. "Yes, I thought so. Well I just came by to tell you congratulations and wish you good luck before I leave. You're girlfriend already knows the news but I'm not sure if you heard or not…" she babbled.

"What news?" he asked blatantly.

"She wouldn't mind if I told you would she? She's not going to sue me if I tell you is she? Please don't tell her I said anything. But then again you can't really… she's all the way in room 138 whereas your way over here in 207…"

"Please just spit it out. You're giving me a headache." He said rubbing his temples.

"Yes, well, uh… I don't know how to say this… I'm really not supposed to tell you but I just thought you should know…" she babbled.

"Uh… JUST SPIT IT OUT!" he yelled, irritated with her insistent babbling.

"Adrian is pregnant!" She squealed and then clamped her hands around her mouth. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that… one of the paramedics told me she was your girlfriend and… and…" she rambled nervously.

"What?" Crane asked, shaking the nurse violently. "Did you just say WHAT I THINK you just said?" he asked shaking her even more.

"Um… just forget I said anything…" the nurse said timidly, trying to pull out of his grip.

"No! You can't just fucking tell me my girlfriend is PREGNANT and then expect to just walk out of here!" he screamed, slapping her.

She started crying. "What do you want from me?" she sobbed.

"I WANT to see Adrian!" he yelled at her despite seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I ca…can't let you do that… it's past visiting hours and you're in intensive care…" she sobbed and he slapped her across the face.

"Security!" she screamed and he clamped a hand around her mouth and whipped her face around toward his, snapping her neck.

"Stupid bitch…" he cursed, shaking her slightly and then realizing that he had actually broken her neck. "Shit…" he cursed, throwing her off of him and getting out of the bed and backing out of the door and locking it behind himself and rushing down the hallway to Adrian's room. He'd just killed a nurse and over what? Yes, she was stupid and irritating but he'd actually KILLED her… This wasn't good.

He ran into Adrian's room to find her staring out the window with a frightened look on her face. She suddenly whipped her head around to face him with tears in her eyes and ran up to him and hugged him.

He hugged her back for a moment, burying his chin in her soft blonde hair. Then Adrian slowly pushed him back and looked up at him, seeing his burned face for the first time

"Jon…" she said quietly, touching the burned flesh on his cheek before he grabbed her hand and held it in his.

"Adrian, are you pregnant?" he asked quietly, staring into his eyes.

Adrian paused for a moment.

"Yes..." she said looking down, "although I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it. Curiosity just broke into my room. She knows… she told me that if I had the baby I'd give birth to an orphan… She was covered in blood Jon." She said holding him tighter than before and looking into his soft blue eyes.

Crane looked hurt for a moment and he put a hand on Adrian's shoulder.

"I'll take care of Curiosity but Adrian… would you really be willing to kill our child out of fear?" he asked solemnly.

"Jon, I… we just started dating… we barely know each other! How can we raise a baby?" she explained, trying to justify herself.

"We could try! It's better than the alternative!" he yelled.

"It's my decision!" she yelled back. "Maybe I don't want kids did you ever think of that?"

"Maybe I do, did you ever think of that? I just KILLED a nurse to come see you!" he snapped, "…accidentally. But the point is I love you Adrian." he said gently, holding her chin. "Please… just think about it… don't make a decision you'll regret just because you're afraid of what might happen."

Adrian opened her mouth in shock, trying to find the words to say something, anything but she couldn't seem to formulate any words and closed her mouth.

Crane opened his mouth to say something but then heard someone coming down the hallway towards the room and stood on the windowsill, taking one last fleeting glance at Adrian before hopping out the window.

"Fear only has power over you if you let it." He said as he ran down the hill and out of sight.

Adrian looked towards the doorway as she saw two panicked looking security guards rush past her room. The first man stopped in her doorway and panted.

"Have you seen…" he breathed, "a Jonathan Crane?" the man asked breathlessly.

Adrian looked out her window pensively for a moment but then looked back at him.

"No." she said calmly and the man quickly moved to the next room.

Snow flitted in through the window and she leaned out gently, gazing outside at the sky, greenish white flakes falling gently onto her golden locks. After a moment she shut the window and sat back down on her bed, burying her face in her pillow sobbing.


	56. Break

Brucie Boy part 56

Detective Yin sat at her desk, staring pensively at a picture frame on the edge of her desk. She sighed and picked it up, looking wistfully at it for a moment before setting it back down and looking at the doorway as another officer knocked on her door and let herself in juggling a small stack of papers and two cups of coffee.

"Hi…" The woman said, setting a cup of coffee down on her desk and taking a seat on the edge.

"I thought you could use a pick me up after last night. I'm surprised you managed to get that girl in here. She was carrying quite a few knives and one of the guards nearly lost a finger getting her in that cell." She said, trying to cheer her up after seeing that she looked rather depressed.

Yin gave a weak laugh. "Yeah…"

She looked at the picture once more. It was a picture of her and Ethan on his birthday, he had given her bunny ears and was pulling one of his eyelids down while she crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the camera.

The woman looked over to the picture and her smile faltered and turned a bit sad.

"He really was a great guy wasn't he?" she asked, giving Yin a small smile and receiving a small one in return.

"Yeah, yeah he was…" she admitted and then turned the picture over to look at a picture of most wanted criminals, seeing Clayface's picture there. "I only wish he still was that man…" she said with a sigh.

The woman put a hand on her shoulder and patted it gently.

"I'll leave you alone for a while." She said softly, turning to leave.

Curiosity paced back and forth in her cell, her face glistening with sweat. Her stitches were quite painful but she refused to sit down. How could Zai have stabbed her like that? She'd thought they were friends! She sighed and sat down on the cot in her cell, the pain finally becoming too much for her.

She quickly punched the wall in frustration. "Serves me right for trusting her. I thought I could change her, help her… I guess that's never going to happen… at least not with Joker in the picture." she said sighing to herself, burying her face in her hands, struggling to keep control.

She wasn't normally this angry… Sure she had good reason to be angry but anger wasn't an emotion she normally felt. Sure she was a killer and enjoyed killing more than almost anything but she was never angry when she killed… Come to think of it, she hadn't been angry for a really long time until she'd come back to Gotham. She hadn't been angry since the night she killed her foster parents.

She punched the wall again, softer this time. Anger was a human emotion and at the moment she wasn't sure whether or not the word human described her much at all… She sat down with a sigh and rubbed her temples. She laughed.

Maybe she WAS actually a little bit human… whether that was a bad thing or not she couldn't tell. She both loathed and loved humanity but at the moment she was leaning more towards the loathing but she knew that was only because she was angry.

She sat there for moment thinking in silence before she saw a beam of light come in with a small flurry of snow as Zai walked in.

Curiosity looked up curious as to why Zai would be coming to the police station without Joker… or rather coming into one at all…

She watched as one of the officers nearly spit out his coffee and began reading Zai her rights, leading her to Curiosity's cell and locking it behind her.

Suddenly the door to Yin's office burst open, stopping the woman in her tracks, and revealing an excited looking officer who immediately ran up to Yin with a proud grin on his face.

"You'll never guess who just turned themselves in!" the man exclaimed, handing Yin a file with Zai's picture and information on it.

Yin raised an eyebrow when she looked over the file.

"And WHY do you think she just TURNED herself in?" Yin asked, glaring at the man and tossing the file back at him in disgust. "YOU put her in the same cell as Sadie Curio! You know, the girl she stabbed? How STUPID are you?"

The man seemed legitimately frightened now and the other papers in his arms shook slightly.

"We… uh... We checked her. She cleared the metal detector and she didn't have any other weapons on her…" he stammered.

"Who CARES? In case you haven't noticed they're both from ARKHAM and Curio has razor sharp TEETH! She nearly took a guards finger off trying to get her in the cell! How angry do you think she'll be when she finds the girl that STABBED her in her cell? You know what? Just get out of here! You'll be lucky if you still have a job by the end of the week so I suggest you clean out your desk!" She screamed, sending him bolting down the hall to fix his mistake.

"IDIOTS!" Yin screamed in frustration, finally realizing that the woman was still standing there. "Sorry Violet, I didn't mean to blow up like that. I just can't stand idiots and I just know this is going to end badly." She sighed. "I think I'm going to take the rest of the night off get a few drinks. Do you want to come?" she asked apologetically.

Violet eased up a bit and smiled. "Sure, let me get my coat." She said gently.

Curiosity narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing here? Come to finish the job?" she asked bitterly as Zai sat down on the cot across from her.

Zai didn't answer and instead came up and hugged her, tears in her eyes.

Curiosity's eyes widened in shock and she shoved her off of her and slapped her, fuming.

Zai held her cheek in shock and slowly got to her feet.

"Did you think you could just come in here, HUG me and everything would be alright again? Is THAT why you're here? Because if it is FORGET about it!" she screamed, "You made your choice! You chose to stay with Joker, the psychopathic clown that tried to dip me in ACID!" she shouted, beginning to pace.

"I just came to tell you that you were right and that I'm sorry." Zai said, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"You're… You're…" Curiosity laughed. "YOU'RE SORRY? Do you know what it's like to be STABBED by your best friend? Your ONLY friend? To DIE and see what hell is really like? I'll tell you, it's excruciatingly painful! Both physically AND emotionally." she said in a malicious tone, lifting her uniform shirt up slightly so that Zai could see the fresh scar across her stomach among several other old ones. "I wasn't even sure I could FEEL emotions anymore until I met you and Joker! I must have TERRIBLE taste in friends because every friend I've had since my dad died has tried to KILL me or arrest me!" she screamed in frustration, punching the wall next to her and having to stop and sit down for a moment, sweat glistening on her face.

She glanced over at Zai and saw the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"What are you crying about? You have Joker don't you? Isn't that what you wanted? Or did you take my advice and finally kill him?" she asked glaring at Zai.

"No, I didn't kill him… I yelled at him and told him I made the wrong decision. You were right. He tried to dunk me in chemicals." She admitted, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Curiosity stopped and turned to look at Zai for a long moment.

Curiosity sighed. "I don't like being right…" she said. "I'm still REALLY mad at you for stabbing me, don't you DARE forget that but stop crying and we'll get out of here and kick his ass." She said. "You know… you're VERY lucky that I like you otherwise you'd probably be on my table by now." Zai gave her a hurt and slightly angry look.

"I came here to apologize! Not to be screamed at and threatened!" Zai shot back. "I know I made the wrong decision! I told Joker that to his FACE! I'm human! I screwed up and I'm sorry!" she screamed.

Curiosity nodded angrily and kicked the wall hard.

"I said I like you! That's a compliment! I don't like many people Zai! I'm NOT threatening you! Get that through your head RIGHT NOW. I'm NOT going to carve you up! Imagine things from my perspective! You've tried to kill me TWICE now! Bats saved me the first time and I forgave you because I knew Joker was ordering you around but the moment I start to trust you and consider you my friend you try it AGAIN! EXCUSE ME for being a little angry!" She yelled, pacing once again and beginning to calm down.

"Alright, alright… let's get out of here before I blow a gasket and go pay our little clown friend a visit." She suggested a depraved look in her eyes.

Yin heard a bang from outside her office after Violet left to get her coat, followed by several loud noises, and ran outside to see just what was going on. Suddenly gun fire sounded and she raced towards the sound.

Yin stood in dumb astonishment as she came upon the scene.

Sadie Curio stood in the middle of the room, a gun in her hand with several other officers spread around her dead. The stupid officer who had locked Zai in her cell, dead with his head bashed through the bars of the cell. He had obviously been moving with two other officers, trying to move Zai to the next cell when one of the two, most likely Curiosity, who was covered in blood, had rammed his head between the bars and stolen his gun, shooting the other officers and taking his keys.

Curiosity spun to face Detective Yin, a satisfied sadistic smile showing all of her jagged teeth.

"The only reason I'm not shooting you is because you saved me and I really DO detest guns. Knives are much more fun." She grinned, Zai behind her, glancing at the exit.

Detective Yin started to take out her gun and Curiosity glanced down at her hand.

"That would be one of the biggest mistakes of your life Detective Yin." She warned, aiming the gun at Yin's chest. "I don't WANT to shoot you but I will if you try to shoot me or Zai. Now throw the gun away." She ordered.

Yin reluctantly did so and Curiosity smiled and waved. "Ta-ta for now detective." She grinned, pulling Zai out the door with her.


	57. Surprise!

Brucie Boy part 57

Curiosity laughed and almost danced out the door as they left Detective Yin behind in the midst of the bloody massacre that had just ensued. Zai seemed a little sickened at the thought of what had just happened but said nothing in protest and Curiosity ignored her slightly disgusted expression. Everything was falling into place. Gotham was at its knees, Zai hated Joker, she and Zai were friends again… hopefully… she still needed to prove that but they'd settle that when they found Joker, they knew Batman's identity, they could do whatever they wanted! It was as if someone had flipped a switch and suddenly all the air had been let back into the room and she felt like she was floating for once. Funny considering if they didn't get out of Gotham soon they were both going to die in excruciating agony due to Joker's chemicals…

Despite all this however Curiosity laughed and actually resorted to doing a cartwheel down the empty roadway, scaring Zai who looked convinced that Curiosity had finally lost the last remnants of her sanity or that she was somehow seeing things.

At this point Curiosity really didn't care. It had been quite a while since she'd actually felt FREE and if she was going to die, she was going to enjoy every last moment she had left… starting by shoving Joker's head back up his ass where it belonged.

She laughed. She felt like Haley again. Haley Riler… She smiled and stopped, looking up at the sky as green tinted snow fell from the sky and forgetting for a moment that the snow was in fact poisonous, sticking her tongue out and catching a few flakes on her tongue before suddenly realizing where she was and what she had just done, straightening up in worry and slapping her forehead.

"Please slap me because I feel like the biggest fucking idiot in the world at the moment." She asked Zai, shaking her head and rubbing her eyes, waiting for the toxin to take effect but after a few moments of waiting quirked an eyebrow.

Zai gave her an odd look and grudgingly slapped her for fear she would get angry if she didn't.

"Why aren't I smiling?" she wondered aloud.

"Uh… because I just slapped you?" Zai asked in confusion.

"Huh? Oh, no. Not what I meant. The snow is poisoned and I caught flakes on my tongue. Why aren't I smiling from the toxin?"

Zai stopped and looked at Curiosity worriedly.

"That IS strange." She finally said. "Joker's immune to his chemicals. Could your…" she gestured to Curiosity's hair. "Have anything to do with it?"

Curiosity thought a moment and looked intently up at the snow falling from the sky.

"Possibly…" she finally replied. "But then why was I affected when he gassed me?" she asked, thinking out loud.

"That's a different compound. He changes all of his chemicals around so that Batman can't just use the same antidote every time to cure his victims." She replied simply and Curiosity grinned.

"So THAT'S why he wanted to permaclown you!" she said as if she'd just pieced something together.

Exposure to the chemicals for a prolonged period of time without fatal results created an autoimmune response and caused the victim to be immune to the chemicals! Why hadn't she thought of that before?

"What blood type are you?" she asked quickly.

"O I think… Why?"

Curiosity grinned and then realized just what her plan would require and began to feel queasy.

"I have a plan. You won't have to get permaclowned and you'll be immune to the toxin." She stated, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"What is it?" Zai asked, unsure as to what the plan was and why Curiosity suddenly seemed sick to her stomach.

"My immune system has essentially made an antidote to the toxin. If you had some of my blood then your body would begin to produce its own antibodies and you would be immune as well."

"That's great! But why do you look so sick?" Zai asked half worried Curiosity was about to puke on her.

"I'm aichmophobic." Curiosity said flatly, shaking her head.

"Which is…?" Zai asked.

"I REALLY hate needles." She said with a shudder.

Zai smiled slightly. "Does it have anything to do with Dr. Crane perhaps?" she asked.

"No, although he REALLY didn't help the fact." She said, looking up at the hospital down the road and sighing. "What do you say we pay the flunky a visit and grab a needle from the hospital?" she asked with a nervous laugh. "I don't feel like getting AIDs from some hobo." She laughed.

Adrian paced back and forth in her hospital room. She'd lied to the cops… she had lied to the cops to save a man who had killed one of the nurses… a man she loved…

She pounded her fist down onto one of her legs and then rubbed it slightly when it turned red. Why did her love life always have to be this fucked up? Could she not have a normal life?

She sighed and rubbed her temples and leaned out the window to see Zai and Curiosity making their way up to the hospital.

"FUCK!" she almost screamed, grabbing her clothes from the closet and quickly getting dressed and unhooking her machine before hopping out the window as the two stepped through the front doors.

"I guess I'm going after Jonathan." She sighed, lowering herself onto the grass and taking off in the direction he had gone.

Crane was going to KILL Joker, Curiosity, and anyone who got in his way. Joker had turned him into a monster and Curiosity had threatened the woman he loved and his child.

Crane stopped at the entrance to the Ace Chemical Factory, a rotting decrepit building that seemed to breathe the very essence of death and decay as the wind whistled through its collapsing walls. God knew what possessed the crazed clown to come here for his chemicals…

He'd heard from the supplier that had sold him his chemicals that he'd used to make the first draft of his fear toxin that Joker conducted all of his operations here for some reason and he had refused to steal the chemicals from the place for fear the harlequin would serve his head on a platter for his family.

Fear manipulated everyone, controlled every action a man could make. Merely breathing meant that you were afraid to die, that you would lose out on some experience if you were to cut your life short even if your life were miserable, if you married someone, you married them because you were afraid you would lose them if you didn't or that you would somehow hurt their feelings and send some horrible message to them, you had kids because you were afraid of leaving nothing behind in the world.

Fear controlled everything. Fear controlled Adrian… she was afraid Curiosity would kill her if she had the child or perhaps that was just an excuse to cover the fact that she was afraid to have children with him because she didn't want to grow attached to anyone, to get close to someone like she had gotten close to her brother before he had tried to kill her. He honestly couldn't say… Did she even love him at all? Or was HE denying the fact that she had only had sex with him to distract herself from the pain and shock of nearly being killed by her brother and then his killing her brother in front of her for fear that she didn't love him back as much as he loved her?

He held his head in thought and finally shook his head angrily and began making his way to the door to the chemicals factory. Joker was going to pay for what he had done. For getting Adrian shot, for scaring his face, for allowing "Bruce Wayne" to come and "save the day" in black tights and to care for Adrian when HE should have been the one to take her to the hospital!

He was almost seething with rage now and smiled sadistically as he walked into the factory to find Joker looking on in shock.

Joker couldn't believe Zai had left him, that she had told him that she'd made the wrong decision… essentially that she wished that she had killed him instead of Haley…

His expression grew angry now and he punched the wall, sending his hand through the drywall and not caring even when his fist ached.

He slowly pulled it out and sighed. Zai was going to die if she wasn't permaclowned in time. She wanted to die but he couldn't bring himself to let her even if he was angry with her.

Joker looked up in shock as he saw Crane walk into the factory a permanent scarred smile etched across his face despite the poisonous look he was giving him.

Joker laughed and then whipped his head around toward the back door to see Batman enter.

"Now isn't THIS a surprise?" he howled with laughter.


	58. A Little Misunderstanding

Brucie Boy part 58

"Get out of here Wayne. The clown's mine." Crane said glaring at Bruce and then shooting Joker a murderous look when he howled with laughter.

"Oh you're SO scary! PLEASE, save me from the thin little scarecrow Bats!" he laughed. "You know… I think I'm going to start calling you Ichabod, Ichabod Crane." He grinned, his tone taking on a slightly darker edge. "And you DO know what happens to Mr. Crane don't you? He loses his head!" he threatened, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure as he jumped from the catwalk to Crane's level and swung a razor playing card at his throat.

Bruce quickly raced up to Joker, receiving a sharp kick in his direction but dodging it to send a fist into the clown's nose. Crane glared at Bruce and shoved him.

"I told you. HE'S MINE!" he growled, staring intently at Bruce to get his message across.

Joker laughed at this and an idea struck him, causing him to grin broadly.

"What's the matter boys? Do I sense a little tension here? Is it because someone is a little jealous because Brucie boy here got to hold his girlfriend and save her from the big bad clown? Or are you just angry that he doesn't think you can fight for yourself Mr. Scarecrow?" he asked in a mocking empathetic tone, laughing hysterically as Crane's face grew bright red with furry and he lunged at him.

Crane proceeded to punch Joker in the face several times, Joker laughing all the while. Crane quickly grabbed a pipe and was about to bash Joker's head in with it when Bruce ripped the pipe from his hands, causing Crane to send a sharp uppercut into Bruce's jaw.

Bruce seemed stunned for a moment and Crane ripped the pipe back out from his grasp and turned to hit Joker again but received a sharp kick in the stomach from Bruce.

Crane glared fiercely at Bruce and Joker grinned, slipping away as the two focused their attention on one another. He had to go find Zai before it was too late.

"You don't want to mess with me Bruce. I may be a fucking Scarecrow but I can still kick your ass." He threatened, holding the pipe up to strike at Bruce.

"You don't want to do this Crane. If you do this there's no turning back. Think about Adrian." Bruce said, turning to walk clockwise around Crane so as not to be hit but Crane merely turned with him, pipe still in hand.

"I AM thinking of Adrian. She's pregnant and she's thinking of having an abortion because she's afraid Curiosity is going to kill her if she has the baby and I can't have the clown around jeopardizing her safety. This town would be a whole lot less fucked up if they were out of the picture anyway. I don't want my kid going to the park and finding corpses on the slide or having to worry about Joker blowing up the school or anything else just to get on your nerves. If you were a real hero you would have killed the son of a bitch the minute you met him. He's probably the reason that Curio bitch is so fucked up to! Just think how many lives could have been spared, how many tragedies could have been avoided if you'd only killed him." He snarled. "You send all the homicidal psychopaths to Arkham where they just run off and escape again and again. The security there is comparable to a revolving door for Christ's sake! I should know! I work there!"

"You can't be with her if you kill someone Crane. You know that." He warned.

Crane sneered at this. "It's a little late for that. I've already killed a nurse. This is my only option now. I have to get revenge. I have to protect her before it's too late. While I still have the chance TO protect her." He said. "Don't try and stop me Bruce… because I WILL kill you if you stand in my way." He warned.

"Adrian isn't going to want to be with you if she knows you kill people. She'll be just as afraid of you as you want me to be." He stated unsympathetically.

"She loves me! You just can't face the fact that she loves me and not you. She'll stay with me even if I kill every last one of you. Even if I turned out like Joker she would stay with me! She's having my child and she'll never be with you. I saw the way you looked at her at Joker's "party". You think you love her but you can't have her! She's MINE." Crane hissed, glaring fiercely at Bruce.

Adrian dashed down the road after Crane. He was quite a ways ahead of her but she could see him in the distance. She saw that he was running towards a building. She couldn't make out the sign on it but from the looks of it, it was falling apart. She picked up her speed as he ran inside and realized after she'd ran a little further that the sign read: Ace Chemical Factory.

She pushed the front door open on rusty hinges, finding Crane about to beat Bruce over the head with a pipe.

"She loves me! You just can't face the fact that she loves me and not you. She'll stay with me even if I kill every last one of you. Even if I turned out like Joker she would stay with me! She's having my child and she'll never be with you. I saw the way you looked at her at Joker's "party". You think you love her but you can't have her! She's MINE." She heard Crane yell and she stopped in shock, holding a hand up when Crane turned to face her and slapping him when he walked over to her, trying to explain himself.

"I am not some fucking trophy that you can possess Dr. Crane. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm automatically your wife. I can leave you if I want. I'm not some stupid puppy that's going to follow you around despite the horrible things you do. I make my own decisions and I choose NOT to go to prison for aiding and abetting a murderer!" she hissed, turning to leave.

Crane started to speak up and grabbed her shoulder only to have Adrian to spin around on him and kick him in the crotch, sending him to his knees.

"I'm DONE Crane. Go play house with someone else." She hissed, storming out.

Crane sucked in a pained breath and rose to his feet, spinning to face Bruce with a murderous gaze, holding the pipe and swinging it with full force at Bruce, screaming in frustration when he ducked out of the way and ran for the door to find Joker.

"You son of a bitch, when I find you I'm going to make every second of your short little life a living hell!" he cursed.

Curiosity and Zai walked into the hospital, receiving several horrified stares as patients and doctors alike took in their bloody clothing and Curiosity's razor sharp teeth.

Curiosity leaned up against the reception desk and smiled at the nurse behind it, watching her back away slowly, her eyes wide in fright.

"I need a syringe please." She said with a sadistic smile, trying her best not to think about what exactly she was asking for.

The nurse quickly nodded and reached under the desk and shakily handed her one.

"Thank you." She replied in a sadistically sweet tone, taking the syringe and handing it to Zai, unwilling to hold it herself.

The crowd parted as they walked to the exit, not wanting to be close to them for fear that the girls might attack them at any moment.

Curiosity and Zai slowly walked to an alleyway and Curiosity began prepping the syringe, pretending it was for someone else, pretending that it was for Lilly Grace instead.

This seemed to help and she quickly jabbed her arm with the needle and filled the syringe and handed it to Zai for her to inject herself with.

Zai looked down at the syringe and then back at Curiosity.

Curiosity gave her a flat look. "Don't worry, I don't have cooties." She assured her.

Zai reluctantly nodded and injected herself with the blood, feeling a little sick now but throwing the needle aside.

"Did it work?" she asked.

Zai looked at her and then stuck out her tongue. The only thing that would happen if it hadn't worked would be that she would die.

After waiting a few moments nothing happened and Curiosity smiled.

"Now, let's go kick Joker's ass." She smirked, dashing off toward the chemical factory with Zai at her heels.


	59. Don't Die Zai!

Brucie Boy part 59

Curiosity ran through the flurry of snow drifting down in waves over their heads as they made their way to the chemical factory, Zai close behind, her footsteps crunching in the newly formed snow banks.

Pained laughter could be heard all around them as the city began to fall into chaos. The city was slowly being poisoned around them and by midnight, everyone in Gotham would be affected and the city would literally die laughing. Cars littered the streets as their passengers leaned out the doors and windows laughing uncontrollably.

Curiosity grimaced at the memory of being gassed and how painful it was and shook her head and cleared her thoughts as she had to do a double take, seeing a figure running TOWARD them from the factory. She looked harder at the figure, for a second she had thought… no. It couldn't be… She began to place the features as Joker stepped into view under a streetlamp.

Curiosity quickly turned to Zai and handed her the knife in her hand, taking out a second one.

"Do you still wish you'd killed him instead of stabbing me?" she asked as he stopped in front of them in awe. "Because we're in the same exact situation now that we were then." She said, looking at Zai, whose eyes looked as if they couldn't be bigger if they were dinner plates.

How could that bitch STILL be alive? How many times did he need to kill her before she would STAY dead? Well… even if he didn't kill her now she'd die laughing before the end of the night. He could already hear the pained laughter of the citizens around them. It was only a matter of time…

"You know Haley; I'm starting to think I should have just shot you in the head when I had the chance ten years ago." He said, glaring at her. "Because you just don't seem to want to die and you're becoming quite the little, and I do mean little," He said, holding his hand down to illustrate her height. "Pain in my ass." He said glaring at her.

Curiosity glared at Joker and then a thought crossed her mind. No one had made fun of her height in a long time, not in 10 years. Who had made fun of her height ten years ago who worked with her dad at the chemical facto… she cut off as she realized just who Joker was, looking at his features to confirm her theory.

"You know your jokes are just as terrible now as they were 10 years ago… Jack." She said, glaring at him maliciously.

Joker seemed taken aback for a moment and then his eyes narrowed at her.

"I thought you remembered. I would have thought you would remember me when we had dinner together just about every other week. If memory serves you used to like my jokes." He said with a glare.

"No, I was just humoring you because I had a pretty good idea about what happened to your wife." She stated, glaring at him.

Zai seemed lost in all this and she listened intently. Evidently Joker's real name was Jack and he and Haley had been… friends? Before his accident. She looked down at the knife in her hands and she knew what she was going to do. She couldn't kill Joker… even if Haley wanted her to… she HAD told the truth however. She DID think she made the wrong decision in stabbing Haley…

She began to slowly slink away from them, receiving a glare from both of them.

"Where do you think you're going?" they asked her in unison and then glared at one another once more.

"She's coming with me." Joker stated angrily, grabbing Zai by the shoulder. "If she doesn't come with me she's going to die and she knows that." He said, shooting Zai a glare that made her shrink away from him.

"We already solved that problem." Curiosity grinned, grabbing Zai by the arm and whipping her back behind her away from Joker. "You know when you tried to kill me at the factory? It turns out chemicals do WONDERS for your immune system. I'm immune to your stupid snow." She grinned, catching a few flakes on her tongue to illustrate her point. "And since Zai had an injection of MY blood, she's immune to!" she grinned, looking at Zai as if waiting for her to catch the snow on her tongue as well.

Zai gave Joker a nervous look and then looked at the sky and stuck out her tongue, catching a few flakes with her tongue without anything happening.

Curiosity met Joker's stunned gaze and smiled smugly, watching his expression turn from stunned to murderous in a matter of seconds.

Suddenly Curiosity heard something and spun around quickly, knife in hand, to face Batman and Joker took this opportunity to grab Zai and pull her over to his side.

Curiosity quickly tried to grab Zai's arm once more but instead received a sharp kick to the chest and glared fiercely at Joker who only grinned in return, holding up a razor playing card.

"Don't you love the sound of laughter Bats? You'll be laughing before long. You and that stupid oaf you call a butler." He grinned. "Unless of course you manage to find an antidote and miraculously save the city before midnight."

Bruce scowled at Joker and Joker grinned at him in return, eyeing Curiosity out of the corner of his eye as if asking Bruce to choose which to save, the city or her.

Crane ran after Bruce, pipe in hand, not bothering to try and be quite. He was going to KILL him for what he said, for tearing Adrian and he apart, for destroying every last hope he had of a normal life with a wife and child.

After running for about five minutes, dodging down alleyways Crane found Batman, Joker, Curiosity, and Zai all together, seemingly at one another's throats.

"Well isn't this just PERFECT! All of Gotham's whack jobs gathered in one place!" he yelled, narrowing his eyes as everyone's attention focused on him.

Bruce's attention flashed over to the clock tower over Gotham square as it sounded 11 o'clock.

"Well if it isn't Ichabod Crane." Joker laughed. "A little late to the party now aren't you?" he grinned.

Crane glared at Joker and then Bruce.

"You spoiled little rich boy… You have a new girl on your arm every week and don't give a damn about what THEY feel but when it comes to MY love life you have to TEAR it apart because I'm not "good" enough for her! Since when do you give a damn? Not all of us are narrow minded bastards who like dressing in a bat suit at night! Some of us like our normal lives! But NOOOOOO you couldn't leave well enough alone. You robbed me of what should have been mine, as if my life wasn't horrible enough with Clown boy twisting my face into a fucking Jack-o-lantern!" he said, turning to face Joker. "YOU robbed me of what shot I had at a normal life! You ripped apart what little sanity I had left and by the end of the day I swear I'll wipe the smile clean off your face." He threatened.

"What SANITY? Last I checked you were out of your mind BEFORE Joker's little "Christmas Party"! You injected me with that stupid toxin of yours and I didn't even KNOW you! And you tried to kill me when things didn't go "as planned"! "

"And YOU, you little bitch… YOU threatened my girlfriend and my child!" he growled, pointing at Curiosity, ignoring what she'd said. "Even if I die by midnight, I'm taking all you bastards with me! Sure I may be a scarecrow but sometimes brawn isn't everything. I'll give you a reason to be afraid and I'll tear you apart in the process." He grinned, weighing the weight of the pipe in his hand, ready to hit whoever was closest, which happened to be Bruce.

"Hurry, stab Joker, he's concentrated on Crane for the moment. You might not get another chance." Curiosity whispered to Zai whose eyes widened at the prospect.

She looked sadly at Joker, whose attention at the moment was focused on Crane swinging the pipe at Bruce.

"I wasn't lying when I said I made the wrong decision. I shouldn't have stabbed you Haley…" she said, stabbing herself, attracting everyone's attention, even Crane's.

Curiosity looked at her in horrified disbelief and quickly pulled the knife from her stomach and tossed it aside. Within seconds Joker was at her side applying pressure to the wound and Curiosity ripped off the bottom strip of her shirt to wrap around her waist.

"Joker, she needs to get to a hospital." Bruce said, hurrying over despite Crane's obvious furry. "I can get her there but if I'm going to do that I need to know where that cloud seeding device is first or I'll die before I can get her to the hospital in time and the doctors that can treat her will die before they can help her." He stressed.

Joker looked down at her solemnly and then nodded his head.

"It's at Ace Chemical Factory. The code is 26-1-9." He said. "Hurry, because if she dies. I WON'T be smiling." He said darkly.

Bruce nodded and dashed off for the chemical factory with the antidote in hand. 45 minutes left until Gotham LITERALLY bust a gut…

Time was running out...


	60. Sweet Nightmares

Brucie Boy part 60

Adrian ran from the chemical factory, tears secretly streaming down her face as she struggled to wipe them away, stopping for a moment to catch her breath and nearly pulling her hair out and then looking down at her stomach.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she sighed, closing her eyes and then sucking in a breath so that she could set off into another good sprint.

If Crane thought she was going to come running back to him just because she was pregnant he was wrong, dead wrong…

She quickly rounded the corner and saw Detective Yin next to an ambulance, waving her hand dismissively at them as they persisted for her to receive medical treatment. Other officers surrounded the police station but stayed outside the building, one younger looking man looked as if he were about to be sick and quickly ran to a nearby dumpster and began dry heaving over it.

Detective Yin finally spotted her and used her as an excuse to make her way away from the persistent paramedics and Adrian took a deep breath and approached her.

"Detective Yin?" she asked.

"Yes?" Yin answered, seeming a little shaken.

"Dr. Jonathan Crane… he had a lead pipe in his hand, when I left and he was swinging it at Batman's head… they, they were at the Ace Chemical Factory." She replied quickly, tripping on her words.

"Ace Chemical Factory?" she asked seemingly pondering something and then took out her radio which made Adrian realize for the first time that Yin was covered in blood.

"Hello? Hello, this is Detective Yin. Jonathan Crane has just been spotted at Ace Chemical Factory. I need all available units down there immediately! The Batman is thought to be involved." she called into the radio frantically.

"We need to get everyone out of the city. Joker is poisoning us through the snow. If Batman doesn't reveal himself to the city in an hour Gotham is going to die laughing." Adrian explained frantically. "People are dying detective and we can't save them. I know Batman is trying to help but if he doesn't do something soon he's not the only one who's going to lose because of Joker's little game. It's too late for an evacuation, we need to convince him to do what's right for Gotham… even if it means Joker wins." She explained. "We need to go back to the factory."

Yin took all of this in and nodded solemnly and quickly followed Adrian back to the chemical factory, her clothes still stained red with blood.

Adrian saw the looming shape of the decrepit building in the distance and narrowed her eyes as they approached an alleyway and found Dr. Crane, Curiosity, and Joker, all of whom turned to face the two.

"Shit!" Yin whispered as they ducked out of sight and pulled out her radio once more. "All units divert onto Washington avenue first alleyway on the right!" he ordered in a hoarse whisper."

"So you brought the cops into this huh Adrian?" Crane asked, approaching the two in the adjacent alleyway. "You couldn't come back and talk to me yourself. No, you had to bring the cops. You're afraid of me. Is that it?" he asked angrily. "Well you know what? I thought I loved you. I thought I was doing the right thing, killing the people who wanted to kill you, to kill the baby… But I guess I'm no more than another monster to you now aren't I, another thing to be afraid of? You don't want me to kill them; you want to lock me up with them. Guess what? Joker may have tried to kill me but you're the one who actually succeeded. Jonathan Crane is dead. The only thing left is Scarecrow." He said simply. "And I refuse to be caged." He stated with a glare, swinging the pipe at Detective Yin's head as she swiftly kicked him in the crotch and sent him to his knees.

"Come on!" she shouted, pulling Adrian away from Crane who was staring intently into her horrified eyes, with a malevolence she'd never seen before.

Jonathan Crane really HAD died… only Scarecrow remained…

Curiosity stared at the pavement in shock, her hands still soaked in Zai's blood and the blood of those she had killed at the police station.

She had given Zai the knife… She had forced her to choose… If Zai died tonight it would be her fault and she knew it. How was it that no matter how many times she tried, Haley would never truly leave her alone? How was it that even after turning herself into something that she didn't even recognize anymore Haley still lived, still cried when she lost those she cared about. How much would she have to lose before she had nothing left? How much?

Supple tears wound down her cheeks as she stood, not bothering to wipe them away. If she had never met Jack, if Joker had never existed her father might have lived, she would have never met Zai, Zai wouldn't have had to make a choice, she wouldn't have loved a homicidal clown, and she would have loved a man whom used to be one of Haley's closest friends… She would have been happy… SHE could have been happy! She would have never become the monster she'd become.

The night Jack fell into those chemicals, the night he came to the factory, was the night that he died. Only Joker remained. THAT was the joke. Life leads you to expect the best and then shows you just how awful it can be, showing you that what you once thought was a tragedy, death, was actually a gift to some. There WAS no karma. Only chance and consequence…

Joker suddenly turned to Curiosity, no trace of a smile on his lips despite his deformity.

"Haley, if Zai dies tonight… It'll be your fault and you're only going to wish you were dead." He threatened, leaning in so close to her that she could feel the heat of his breath.

Curiosity turned her face up to look him in the eyes. "We're both responsible. Everyone has an inner demon. We let ours take control and now look at us. If Zai had never met either of us where do you think she'd be?" she asked, turning away from him. "I know I'm a monster. I know you're a monster. We're both sick. The only differences between us are who we used to be and what we do now. I'm going to help Bruce save Zai."

Joker glared at her slightly and then flicked his eyes back behind her. "No, you're not. I'm going to help Zai; you're going to deal with Crane. We may be monsters but we both care about Zai, whether we like it or not we're still going to have deal with each other to save her because there's no way Brucie boy has the right antidote for the toxin and I have it." He said, holding up a small glass vile of pale yellowish green liquid. "And as much as I hate to admit it I don't have enough time to deal with Crane, give Brucie boy the antidote, AND save Zai."

Curiosity stared at him in thought for a moment and then nodded as Crane knocked Yin unconscious and headed in her direction, pulling something out of his back pocket that she couldn't quite make out at first until Joker had left and Crane was a little closer. It was a syringe filled with an orange liquid…

Her blood ran cold as he grinned sadistically at her.

"Adrian is afraid of me. Let's see just who else is shall we?" he said, his voice and expression reflecting the fact that he had finally snapped.

He attempted to grab her shoulder and she attempted to swing him around to kick him in the stomach but instead gasped in shock as he used the momentum to twist her arm behind her back and stick the syringe in her neck.

"CRAP!" she mentally screamed, kicking him between the legs and forcing him to let her go, allowing her to twist his arm around his back and step on his neck, pinning him as she grabbed another syringe out of his back pocket, the beginnings of the toxin's effects starting to kick in. She quickly stabbed the syringe in his neck and emptied it as someone seemed to grab her from behind.

"Time for a taste of your own medicine Dr. Crane." She made out before the figure seemed to give her another tug.

"LET ME GO!" she screamed, biting at the figure only to taste her own blood as she bit into her other arm. "What the HELL?" she gasped looking around wide eyed to see Lilly Grace behind her, her charred corpse glaring at her through bloodshot grey eyes.

"What's wrong Haley? I thought we were friends." The figure said sarcastically, approaching her and seemingly wrapping her hand around her throat and holding her to the alley wall.

"We were NEVER friends! You only pretended to be my friend!" she screamed angrily. "And you're just a hallucination. You're not real. You're dead. You've been dead for years." She shouted, Lilly's charred fingers seeming to squeeze tighter on her throat when in reality Jonathan was.

"She may be but I'm not." Crane grinned, sweating as he tried to combat the effects of the toxin running through his system.

Curiosity's eyes widened as Lilly seemed to melt before her into Crane, his scarred face having the appearance of a body that had been rescued from the morgue, crude stitches running up his face as if it were more fabric than skin.

"Scarecrow…" Curiosity gasped her mouth suddenly dry as he squeezed even tighter.

"Ichabod, Ichabod, Ichabod Crane…" a voice chanted from behind him, making him spin around and drop Curiosity who gasped for air.

"You know the headless horseman can't get you if you cross the river. He can't stand the water." The kid in front of him taunted, as he looked down to find he was eight years old again and surrounded by water that rushed past his feet with intense speed.

"You're not real, you're not real, you're not real." He repeated to himself, trying to turn and look away but only looking over to see the kid in front of him once more, this time shoving his head beneath the waters.

"Here, I'll save you Ichabod." He taunted, holding him under as he thrashed on the pavement, Adrian starring at the two in shock as Curiosity gasped for air and Crane writhed on the pavement, seemingly drowning.

Adrian looked at the unconscious detective next to her and heard sirens in the distance much to her relief and walked over to Dr. Crane and promptly punched him in the face as he attempted to swing at her as she approached.

"Sweet nightmares Dr. Crane." She said simply, grabbing Curiosity's arm as she tried to make a run for it as the cops swarmed in.

Curiosity spun and saw her mother's decaying form in front of her and began to hyperventilate as she grabbed her and prevented her from running, swarms of her victims appearing behind her and loading her into the back of a car, light flashing across her pale form.

Bruce rushed to the chemical factory, quickly typing in the numbers Joker had mentioned, 26-1-9., realizing for the first time that the numbers corresponded with the letters in Zai's name and their position in the alphabet. He really DID love her.

After a moment the machine hummed to life and Bruce pulled out the antidote and looked for the place to put it in the machine before someone suddenly put a hand on his shoulder.

"Take her to the hospital, I've got the antidote. The one you have won't do anything but make their smiles disappear. They'll still be laughing till their lungs explode." Joker explained, serious for once. "Now save her." He ordered, pointing to the door as he dropped the antidote in the machine and turned it on.

"How do I know that's really an antidote?" Bruce asked sternly.

"Have I ever been serious before?" Joker asked, glaring at Bruce. "Now get her to a hospital. If it wasn't an antidote I'd have no need for you to take her there."

Bruce stared at Joker for a moment before nodding and rushing off for the hospital with Zai in his arms, the strips of cloth on her wrists soaked red with blood as he burst through the doors, handing her to a surprised looking doctor.

"Book an OR!" he shouted, laying Zai on a gurney and rushing her off to surgery, leaving Bruce behind, hoping he had done the right thing, leaving to see that the laughter throughout the city seemed to be calming as yellow snow fell from the sky.

"I never thought I'd be so relieved to see yellow snow." He sighed, shooting a cable up to the nearest rooftop as a police car pulled into the hospital and Curiosity and Dr. Crane were taken into the hospital, unconscious and in handcuffs, Joker in suit, in handcuffs but not resisting as he was taken to Zai's room and restrained.

Everything was well… for now. Only time would tell what the future would bring and what would become of both Batman AND Bruce Wayne…

One Month Later…

Adrian walked down the longest corridor in Arkham. Hugo Strange had returned during the chaos and had bought a new toupee that made him look equally stupid but Adrian said nothing and made her way to his office.

"You wanted to see me sir?" she asked as she walked in.

"Yes, a patient has requested to see you. We believe your presence may help his treatment as long as you do not encourage his delusions or your "relationship"." He said.

"You are not suggesting…" Adrian started but he ignored her.

"Dr. Crane is waiting for you now. You are dismissed." He said bluntly, waving her out.

Adrian stood there in shock for a moment before numbly walking out of his office and into the hall. She took a deep breath and held it in before looking down at her stomach which was barely showing now and letting it out and walking into Crane's cell.

"Dr. Crane." Adrian addressed quietly.

"Adrian." He answered back. "I've been expecting you…"

"And why might that be?" she asked, playing dumb.

Crane glared at her slightly and looked at her stomach as if questioning whether or not what he knew to be real actually was real.

"The doctors tell me I was exposed to my own toxin, that I developed a form of psychosis that made me think that you and I… were in a relationship." He said, hesitating at the last part as he looked down at her stomach again.

"Yes." Adrian lied.

"Is it true?" he asked, looking hopeful for a moment.

"Was everything I thought we had just a delusion?" he asked, looking her in the eyes.

Adrian looked him in the eyes, wishing for some reason that she could tell him the truth. "Yes." She lied. "I'm with Bruce, you thought he was stealing me away from you and you tried to kill him. Batman got involved and you tried to kill him to. We found Sadie Curio by the way, down in the morgue. You were experimenting on her with your toxin."

Crane seemed to be thinking this over. "When's the baby due?" he asked solemnly.

Adrian hesitated. "Eight and a half months." She stated.

Crane nodded and turned to lie on his bed. "You may leave now." He said quietly.

Adrian stood and turned to the door, hesitating before pushing it open and leaving, walking down past Curiosity and Zai's cells.

Zai had lost a lot of blood but was now under suicide watch at Arkham and Detective Yin had found that Curiosity's real name was in fact Haley Riler and she was now being questioned by authorities about the murders of her foster parents but remained as silent as the day she had first walked through Arkham's doors.

Joker paced seemed quiet for the first few days following his capture but slowly began making jokes again, when Hugo allowed Zai to return to Recreational time.

Things were oddly different and yet the same now. Like a chess game had just been played and now all the pieces had been returned to their places but the score was somehow different.

Bruce visited her every now and then, trying to be as certain as possible that she wouldn't tell anyone what she knew about him even after she had sworn to him again and again.

Arkham Asylum seemed a rather desolate place now. The air around the asylum grounds seemed to hang there, the fall leaves that now sat decaying under the trees barely ruffled as the building itself seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation of the cold night to come.

A slightly yellow snow still sat in the shade of the building as a reminded to the residents and employees of what had really happened a month ago today.


End file.
